Here To Stay
by Lookingforsunday
Summary: When all your life you've had nothing, what happens when you've finally got something worth losing—someone worth dying for? Tris is in her final year of college, a student who seems to have no past, and Tobias, a student professor fleeing from his old life. What happens when they meet? Will their pain make or break them? Forgotten memories may resurface, but so do old enemies.
1. Prologue

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

**Summary**: When all your life you've had nothing, what happens when you've finally got something worth losing—someone worth dying for? Tris is in her final year of college, a student who seems to have no past, and Tobias, a student professor fleeing from his old life. What happens when they meet? Will their pain make or break them? Forgotten memories may resurface, but so do old enemies.

**Warning: Rated M for mature themes—proceed with caution.**

**Disclaimer**: All rights belong to Veronica Roth. I only own the plot and the original characters that appear in this story.

* * *

**Prologue**

TRIS

Sometimes in life, you stop to wonder; what did I do to get to this point in time? What could I have done differently? It's enough to say that sometimes life doesn't go as planned. Despite all the times you've played the same moment in your head over and over, you still end in the same place.

That's what it was like for Tris.

Tobias, the man who changed her life, the one who made her experience all the joy in life, the one who made her question everything she did. He was her rock, and she was his light. The angel that made him learn to forgive himself, and his past. It's not your history that defines you, it's who you choose to be and the company you keep that shapes who you are as a person. Together they learn that life is not a golden road; there's going to be pain, heart-break and even loss, but in the end, they would always be _here to stay._

_..._

It was the last first day at college; just one more year before she was free.

It was both exhilarating and scary. The thought of leaving what she had called home for the past 20 years of life terrified her down to the bone but at the same time, the feeling, the rush that would accompany leaving the hell whole and finding herself anew left her breathless. Leaving was tempting, very tempting.

Tris found herself waking in her dorm room, it was significant because today marked her last year at the University of Chicago. While it had been both enjoyable and unbearably horrible, she couldn't wait to start a life of her own. Of course, the school was great to her—it was the best in the whole state for crying out loud—but somehow, she felt tied down to the place and she wanted nothing more than to break free. Her studies had been almost perfect—hell, it was perfect—she aimed for all perfect scores and she got them, but it was not without sweat and tears. She worked her fingers and head to the breaking point and it was towards a good cause. She needed the perfect resume, the perfect score, _the perfect ending to her studies, _that would ensure a job for her in the future. Tris was relying on her excellent college results for a good job (that also comes with a high paying income). She wanted, no, _needed_, the financial security, it was the only way she could leave. Or else she'd be tethered down to her family -her parents- for the rest of her life. And only god knows what would happen to her then.

It only took her a short while to get ready. She never fancied the way she looked but she never tried to change it. It was her motto, _beauty is more than skin deep._ And so, she never spent a long time admiring herself in the mirror much like other girls her age would. She only spent long enough to make sure she looked... presentable for her lectures and tutorials. She didn't really want to walk around with toothpaste stuck to the corner of her mouth, although she wouldn't really mind if that was the case. It was only human nature right?

She grabbed her books on her way out, swinging her backpack on before she headed for the elevator. While waiting for the elevator to come to the tenth floor, she quickly ran her fingers through her hair, detangling any knots she came across. When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a 'ding', she quickly entered, moving to one of the sides to allow others to enter and do the same. She placed her backpack on the floor, moving it aside so no one would accidentally trip, then stood back upright. She adjusted her leather jacket, then readjusted it the same before she was satisfied with how it hung around her shoulders.

The elevator came to a halt on the ground floor and everyone piled out, she waited until everyone left before she too, took her exit. She sighed as she took in her surroundings, a big building was directly in front of her but to the both sides, she could see parks filled with trees. Green and blue painted the scenery and it was refreshing to her eyes. That was the best thing about the campus she was staying at, despite all the cold, hardened brick buildings, she was constantly surrounded by nature. And it was comforting to her, as it reminded her of the good old days. _Her once magical childhood_.

Uneasiness settled upon her eyes as she reach her first lecture hall. _There are so many people! _She harshly thought to herself as she bit back the urge to turn away. It was a little daunting to be in a room filled with many people. I guess you could say, socialising and people wasn't her strong suit. Tris made a mental note to herself whilst entering the door: _head down, books up_. She planned to spend the year with her head buried in books, as it had always been for the past two years. She never really felt the need for friends, books were always comforting enough for her. (But it wasn't only that she liked being alone, it was programmed into her. Drilled into her nature, her unconscious, from the very beginning, from the time of her birth until now, she had been made to function like a machine and it was always to do one thing: _Study, study, study. _And that was what she did.) And she did that best.

"Just one more year Tris." She whispered to herself and she felt a little better inside.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Welcome to my new story. Don't worry, this is just the prologue, there will definitely be more. I want to say that no, I am not a major in Human Evolution and I don't even know if there is such a thing, but for the sake of this story let's pretend it does, okay?

Most of all though, I would just like say thank you, to each and every one of you, for taking your time to read this story and hopefully you won't regret it!

PS. If there are any spelling mistakes, please tell me!


	2. Chapter 1

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

TOBIAS

It was early fall and classes have begun once again. Yet this time it was a little different for Tobias; he would be working as a student professor for the whole of this year as part of his teaching course. Truth be told, he wasn't too thrilled about the placement. (Who was when it truly came down to work?) But he could feel it, rooted deep inside him that this was the year for change, this year was the day he could finally escape his personal hell. He had been living in what seemed like a confined box his whole life, terrified every second he spent both in and out of it. Tobias didn't know what, he didn't know when and of course, he didn't know how but he could sense it. The air around him wasn't as thick as it had always been. It felt like for once in his life, he could finally _breathe_.

"It's going to be a good year." And with that, he slipped out the door of his apartment.

...

Tobias stood just offside, watching calmly as the students filed in the room in a not-so-orderly fashion. He hung back with a smug smile on his face, glad that finally, he was no longer a student. He didn't have to persist through the tedious lessons wandering whether he would actually pass the end-of-year exams—because he had already done so. Now, he had to sit through them all over again but the professors didn't give a rat's ass about what he did anymore.

The course for the year begun with co-existence and divergence, which was always a debatable subject but Tobias loved it. It was so facinating to him how two specifies could co-evolve with each other but more interestingly, how organisms diverged from a common ancestor long long ago. As he listened in on the conversation, he grew increasingly interested. Especially when a sweet voice broke through his own thoughts.

"But how do we know that different species originated from one common ancestor, back when it was bacteria or Cyanobacteria? I know there's obviously evidence to support this but it doesn't really make sense to me. I mean look at us, there's got to be more than that to evolution than saying that every life form comes from one tiny bacteria dating back to billions of years ago. There's just so much difference between all of us, it just doesn't seem possible." Her voice was crisp and sharp as she spoke but there was a softly spoken melody in her words.

It was the first time he had noticed her around campus—and he had been around for quite some time now—he didn't see even her walk through the front door. Perhaps he was a little too distracted in his thoughts long enough for her to slip in unnoticed. She was tucked away into the far corner, at the very top of the stairs. Despite the distance between them, her voice traveled far and wide and rung in his ears. He looked up and even from his position, he could already tell she was beautiful.

Her hair fell perfectly around her face, framing it, drawing one's eye sight immediately to the eyes. They were a dull green/grey but he knew they held much more fire in them by the way she spoke with utter confidence. Her hand twirled the black ball point pen which she clutched onto tightly in the fist of her palm. She was dressed in a simple black denim jacket with black skinny jeans beneath. She had this aura of not caring, yet caring way too much. It was an odd balance, one that Tobias couldn't really put his finger on. (One that confused him very much to think about.) He was so captivated by this girl that he barely noticed his supervisor give the girl his response to which she later nodded and agreed on.

He continued to watch the mysterious girl carefully as she reached in her backpack and grabbed a notepad. His eyes never left her for even a second. The air around her was nothing like he had seen before; it had a mist of kindness, honesty, and bravery (evident from her confidence and courage to speak her mind to a man as daunting as David, their mentor). She was also intelligent, he noted. There was no way other students in the class could've thought of what she did, and even if they did, definitely would not have spoken up at all. She began to furiously take notes, scribbling everything David threw their way.

She looked up a couple of times during the lecture when he stopped to answer a few questions. It is only during that brief second of break that her eyes begin to wander. She glanced in his direction once or twice and his entire body immediately freezes under her gaze. The very first time she looks his way, her eyes met his for a millisecond before they continued to scan the barren room. The second—but not the last for that day—they lingered more as if taking in the sight of him. Tobias simply stared at her whilst she examined him from head to toe. As if satisfied with what she saw, they drifted elsewhere and the lecture begun again.

The one thing he couldn't deny was the little electric spark that ignited when her eyes met his.

_And he was dying for them to meet again._

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry that was so short, but I promise the next chapter will be longer. I just needed to get the intro's out and done! I promise that the next chapter will be way more exciting and of course, contains Tris/Tobias - need I say more? Hope this was good. If so, please leave a review. And even if not, leave one anyway telling me how I could improve. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

TRIS

Class flew by surprisingly fast for Tris. Probably because she spent majority of her time copying numerous pages of notes. She sighed to herself. David, or Professor David as he introduced (but everyone just calls him David anyway), was apparently a pain in the ass when it came to his classes. According to students who've had him in previous years, he was strict on school policies and did not tolerate lateness under any circumstances. She thought he was a genuinely nice guy, just a bit of a hard rock when it came to studies. But she figured, if you turned up to class, on time, and actually did your work, you'd survive fine. After all that was what she had been accustomed to for all these years. Punctuality was kind of already hard wired into her brain.

As the bell rung, it also signified her lunch break. _A well deserved one_, she thought. After three hours of non-stop writing and listening, she was dying to be out and about again -to use her voice most of all. Hurriedly, she gathered all her belongings and shoved them into her backpack.

She stood up and inspected her area, double checking to see if she had misplaced or forgotten anything. When she was satisfied, she took her turn walking back down the stairs. Her legs felt like jelly the whole way down and maybe it was the lack of blood flow for sitting down for three hours, or maybe it was the mysterious—_but very handsome—_man standing by the doors. She gulped and looked for another exit. Unluckily for her, the only exit meant passing the very good-looking stranger. Normally, it wouldn't have effected her so much but now, being conscious that she didn't bother to look _approachable_ today made her spine shiver. So, she resorted to the next best thing to being invisible. She reached down inside her denim jacket and pulled the hood from the sweatshirt she was wearing underneath, over her head. It was oversized on her, which she usually hated, but was thankful for today as it hid her face perfectly.

She made her way towards the door, slowly and speeding up a little, until she reached the perfect pace—the balance between calmness and relaxation. She composed her posture and straightened herself, standing more upright as she strode the last few steps leading to the door. As she passed the man, she tried to look dead straight, avoiding his gaze. But something tugged at her and she looked sideways for a split second and met his eyes. This wasn't the first time, there were two other times just like this when she had caught him staring at her, and him with her. However, much like the first she snapped away first, turning her head and walking out the door.

She didn't get very far before another shadow stood before her. She brought her eyes from the floor and it was met by a boy (man, as he would later remind her) who beamed brightly at her. She sheepishly looked at him and did an awkward chuckle.

He was the first to break the ice, "Hey, I'm having a party later at the big hall, the one just off the east building. So stop by, have a drink and definitely have loads of fun!" He winked at her. She only smiled at his attempt at inviting her to a party (mind you, something that she rarely attended. And by rarely, she meant _never_.) However, still feeling the presence of that stranger behind her, made something shift inside of her. The balance she had between studying and... Well, more studying was tipped and she went toppling into the deep end, the party zone. "I'm looking forward to seeing you there. Everyone's going so should be a rager! " He exclaimed, but it was more of a question. And somehow, despite her best efforts at denying, she couldn't resist taking up the offer.

"When does it start?"

...

It was only eleven o'clock and Tris was already feeling the burning regret inside. "Why did I have to agree to go to this stupid party?" She demanded quietly.

Not being bothered to change her clothes, she simply pulled off her sweatshirt and slipped into a tank top instead. She grabbed a whole bunch of hair and messily pulled it into a bun, all the while arguing with herself. "I could just not go. I mean he wouldn't notice if I didn't go." She reasoned, "there'd be plenty of other people he could socialise with. I mean, there's a thousand other girls out there who are a much better company. So no one would know right?"

"But then again, when am I ever going to get the chance to be invited to another college party? I've been here for what, three years? And nope, no party. So bad luck to good Tris, we're going to the party." The wilder side of her had spoken and her body obeyed. She grabbed her leather jacket and slammed the door on her way out.

The party was already at full swing when she arrived. There were couples plastered on the front lawn, making out, dancing, drinking, doing whatever college kids did these days. Looking away disgusted, she made her way into the main event.

She could barely make out anything in the darkness. It was pitch black except for the disco lights bouncing off the walls, and the occasional shimmering of someone's very short dress. It was definitely a new sight to Tris, one she had never really seen before. She skimmed over the room quickly, what she had originally thought as a massive hall was now filled to the brim with people grinding on one another. Over the tops of dancing bodies, she noticed a long table stretching from almost one wall to the other. "That's where it's got to be!" She shouted to herself.

She wormed her way between people and finally, after what seemed like an hour trying to pass through the maze of forever spinning bodies, she made it to the booze. There was a ridiculous amount of alcohol, in all different forms too. There were beer bottles, beer in a keg and spiked punch, along with some other BYO assortments. Tris settled for the beer in a bottle and made her way to a secluded corner, where she could watch the grinding fest of sweaty bodies without actually being crushed by them.

For a while, she was so lost in just watching the way people danced to beats and sung their hearts to songs, she didn't notice a very familiar stranger slip beside her.

"Enjoying the party?" The voice asked. And she jumped at the sudden interruption.

She was met face-to-face with that _very handsome stranger_. "Um..." She struggled for words. "I guess." She answered flatly.

"I guess?" He repeated, his voice raising into a form of question, "If you're not having fun, what are you doing at a college party then?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't know, just taking advantage of the free beer?" She remarked sarcastically, but it was very true. She was technically here for the free beer, but also to challenge herself and put herself out there more, and try to socialise, but it was definitely harder than it seemed. She had always thought it was simple, easy, by the way others could make friends so effortlessly. However on the multiple occasions (more than one, mind you) she had always been rejected and cast off to the side. It was not her brightest of moments.

He chuckled. "Well there's certainly more than enough to go around." He gestured towards all the drunken kids running wildly around the courtyard. Others who were not involved in such manic events were sitting round the edges laughing at their idiotic friends.

"Sure is." She chimed in. "But what about you?"

"What do you mean 'what about me'?" He asked, his eyebrow quirked. He stared down at her waiting for her explanation.

"I mean what's your deal?" Her expression doesn't change, "Why are you here?" She asked, a little more clearly.

"Same reason as anyone else! Free alcohol to get drunk on of course." He laughed and she joined in.

She had forgotten about the beer bottle in her hand as when she brought it up to scratch her nose, the contents swished around and spilled out of the very small opening. "Oh shit." She grumbled, swatting away the little droplets that now stained her tank top.

"It's better to drink the alcohol than wear it, you know?" He joked but Tris wasn't laughing.

"Because spilling alcohol on myself is the only way to have fun at a party!" She shouted sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"Lighten up, it was a joke." He nudged her with his shoulder, "and this is supposed to be a party. So loosen up a little and just have fun." He wiggled his hips a little and she burst out laughing. As soon as he stopped, his face turned red with embarrassment and he stuttered, quickly changing the subject. "But on another note, you don't seem like the party type."

"What gave you that impression?" She bit back.

"You just seem like the nice girl type." Her forehead creased, "What I meant to say was, you just don't seem to socialise with people in your class so all I'm wondering is why you would be at such a big event like this one."

"Coming from Mr Stiff." She mumbled under her breath, "Do I have to have a legitimate reason to be here?" She questioned.

"I guess not."

Having thought that was enough about her, she squinted at this mysterious man and decided it was about time she questioned him instead. "What were you doing in that class anyway? You don't look like a student and you certainly don't look old enough to be a professor."

"So kind of you to say I look young. But yes, you're right. I'm neither. I'm actually a student professor, sitting in on David's class as work experience."

"Was it as boring for you as it was for me?" She grumbled, recalling the (_fun_) times she had earlier.

"You too?" He laughed. "David's not too bad, just remember to stay on his good side is all."

"I'm not sure I can guarantee that."

"I guess I'm going to have to keep my eye on you then..." She noticed the pause and answered for him. "Tris."

"Well then Tris, I'll make sure to keep you within eye sight."

She giggled, "I'll keep you to that Mr Student Professor." He murmured to himself, _Mr Student Professor—I like that_. He watched her as her eyes travelled between him and the mosh pit of dancing figures. She was enchanted by the whole scenery. It was a new sight to her and her eyes grasped it like a baby grasped its pacifier. Her eyes grew wide at the sudden change of beat and she soon found herself tapping along to the rhythmic music. She took another sip of her beer; feeling the cold liquid slide down the back of her throat. It burned but it was soothing and she slowly felt the drowsy effect of alcohol on her body. She glanced back up at him, he was looking straight forward with an emotionless expression but she could see a faint smile tugging at his lips. Soon too, she found herself smiling alongside him. She turned and spoke remarkably loud, "But really, aren't you a little too old to be hanging around 20 year olds?" She poked her tongue out playfully at him and his expression turned full serious.

"Maybe I like 20 year olds." He whispered and she slapped his arm.

"Ow!" He exclaimed and she simply laughed him off. "How old do you think I am!" He screeched, "I am not that old you know!" A playful smile tinted his face and not long afterwards, he shot her a toothy grin.

"Sure sure." She taunted.

"I'm only 25 years old!" He told her and Tris didn't know whether she was surprised that he was so young or shocked he looked so old. His age did not matter to her? Right? Besides, why did she suddenly care who he was? A few silent beats thumped by, and it was only after a little while that she realised it was the sound of her heart. And she did not like how fast it was racing.

"Well I'm off to see if I can mooch off more beer. See you around Mr Student Professor." She quickly spoke, excusing herself. She did not want to be around him any longer, fearing that her heart would race so fast it would pop right out of her chest.

She raised her hand and gave him a small wave. He laughed, "See you around Tris."

* * *

**A/N: **See! I told you not to worry, Tobias and Tris would come round soon enough. And thank you to all those who have reviewed, favourite-d and followed. It means so much more to me than ever could be described to know someone out there likes my writing. It's honestly a great feeling so I encourage all of you to get out of your comfort zone and try something new! (Much like Tris did.)

See you next time xx


	4. Chapter 3

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

TRIS

Tris woke up the following day feeling like absolute crap. Her head was pounding and her body was aching. Her ears were buzzing with every single sound that surrounded her; she could hear the dripping of the nearby tap, the zapping of the lights that flickered above her head and the low murmurs of people talking outside her room. She fell back onto her bed with a heavy sigh and pouted. She was definitely not up to anything today.

She forced herself to get up, dragging her limp body to the bathroom to get herself cleaned up. She had slept in yesterday's clothes and she had never made a more terrible decision in her life. She reeked like alcohol and sweat—it was truly disgusting. She quickly tore off her shirt and jeans and stepped into the streamy comfort of the shower. The water trickled down her back, simultaneously spewing water droplets onto the frosted glass. Amused by the tiny circles, she joined them up with her finger, tracing around each one delicately whilst choosing which one to connect to next. After she had thoroughly played enough of her silly shower games, she hopped out and slipped into grey sweats. If people thought she looked terrible yesterday, then they were definitely in for a surprise today.

She combed her damp hair and tied it into a tight pony tail at the centre of her skull. She glanced at herself in the mirror, deep bags lined her eyes and her face was blotchy and discoloured (an obvious effect of drinking the previous night). She straightened out her clothes, getting rid of all the creases before she exiting the bathroom. She grabbed her trusty black jacket and ran out the door.

...

Class with David was boring as per usual. Tris sat in her spot again—she had secretly reserved the seat for her and her only—and made herself comfortable. Despite all her best efforts, and she really did try, she simply for the life of her, could not concentrate on the lecture. Her brain was ticking away; the hardness of the chair beneath her bum annoyed her; the clicking sounds of a pen from a nearby student drove her close to insanity; and the constant sighing from the tired boy next to her made her want to fall asleep. (Although she wouldn't really get told off for it, she knew it would be highly disrespectful and of course, place a bad mark upon her name. So she decided against sleeping in class and instead, tried to focus her attention a little more.)

It was hard work but she managed to survive the class. The bell was about to ring in less than a moment and she was so ready to bolt out that classroom door. But when she readied herself to stand up, David spoke one last time.

"Before you all leave. I would like to introduce Tobias to you all. You may have seen him from yesterday and most likely wondering why he is here. Well, I'm telling you now that he is here as a student professor and is doing this as part of his work placement. I expect you to treat him with the same respect you do to me." As he finished his last syllables, the bell rung. And before he could blink, everyone was out and gone. She dawdled a little, not intentionally of course. But as she stood up, some student came crashing into her, spilling all the contents in her folder on the stairs. She huffed angrily and bent down to pick up the missing pieces.

A hand soon joined her and she muttered thanks without glancing up. However when the familiar voice spoke, she froze once more - the memories of last night dawning on her.

"How are you today?" It was a simple and gentle question, yet Tris couldn't control the shiver that travelled down her spine.

"I'm great." She lied.

He looked at her quizzically—as if he knew she was lying—but said no more. He just nodded and stood aside, making way for her to pass. Tris acknowledged him one last time by repeating her thanks and quickly exited the room.

She basically bolted out the door and once she was at a safe distance, she let out the breath she had been holding onto. She could feel that the day ahead was going to be a long one; one that tested her both physically and mentally.

_But she was just so exhausted already._

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long (and that it is so short). It's just that exams are in a month and I'm actually freaking out but I will try to update as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

TRIS

The following few days were uneventful. All had been calm and peaceful except the party that she had so impulsively attended. And although the party was said to be one of the best yet, Tris did not seem to think so. Yes, it had flare and the DJ seemed to have great taste in music, all in all it was like any other party she had heard through bathroom stalls and often in a queue at the local cafe down the road. It was quite baffling how much can be heard all whilst going about your business. (Both literally and figuratively.) If Tris was to count all the times she overhead gossip, it would definitely not fit on one hand, let alone ten. She often made it her business not to talk about others' business too. So, she would try to ignore the very interesting conversations but sometimes, they were just too god damn funny not to listen in on.

Her trail of thought ended when her trail to class ended also. She stood before her large classroom, which was big enough to be an auditorium, after having taken the long scenic route. Whenever she had time, or just whenever in general, she preferred to take the longer walk. One that crossed bridges over small streams and some amazing willow trees. She promised herself that one night, she would come out and sit beneath the thread-like branches and stare up at the sky. The stars were visible through the curtain of leaves, but it concealed her nicely from the wandering eyes of walkers nearby. _Someday_, she would make the special trip.

Tris entered the classroom with a fresh mind having had the weekend to shake out the fuzzies. She now felt re-energised and ready to tackle any lemons life threw at her.

As she sat down, David cleared his throat and the lecture began. It was like any other; he would speak for a full half hour whilst students scribbled away, before he would take a five minute break to answer any questions. After that, the same process resumed five times over.

It was nearing the end of the class, and Tris had momentarily zoned out before being dragged back into reality. David's voice rung through the air, loud and sharp, "As you might've heard from previous students, every year we take a trip, as a class, to visit a museum or conservation region to study wildlife and different forms of related animals. But this year is a little different, we get to experience, learn first hand from biologists about cures and diseases. It's a little different and truth be told, it's leaning more towards the biochemical aspect of science rather than the evolutionary side. But nonetheless, it is set. And although the information we do take away from this won't be on the study design, it is definitely worth while knowing and learning about it." A low murmuring sound washed over the room. "It's all very exciting indeed, but we just need to clarify a few things beforehand..."

His voice trailed off and Tris barely heard the last few sentences. She was planning the perfect getaway in her head. Despite not having enough time between her studies and work to fit in a long extended holiday, the thought stayed with her forever. It was just another indenture for her to finish school and get a well paying job that basically ensured she could take as many holidays as she could dream of. But until then, the upcoming trip would suffice for now.

...

They had just landed at a secluded airport, it was most definitely not a tourist area by the lack of people. She looked around, left to right, and all she could see for miles were highways and dirt roads. However, she knew the ocean was nearby, the smell of the salty sea water drifted into her nostrils and she sighed at the scent. She had grown up beside the beach, but she was never allowed in, for fear that she would drown or get towed out to sea. So for many years, she spent her time on the patch of sand outside her house staring at the horizon that grazed the tips of the ocean. Her feet were small and delicate but she could never forget the way the small tides would roll over them. She would never forget the frothy foam and the mounds of seaweed that lined the beach and the moments of cheer when she found a shell fully in tact, no broken pieces and all of its beauty now glowing in her eyes. To such a small kid, it was like the beach was a gift from the gods themselves. So when the salty scent reminded her of her old childhood days, she didn't know whether to cringe or rejoice.

(Possibly more the latter.)

They waited around the airport for a coach—that came _really _late—to pick them up. David was furious, fumes rising from his nostrils as they flared in sync with his angered breaths. In a way, small towns were bad in a sense that they had no public transport and the only way for tourists to get around—if any ever came—was to walk or catch the **only** taxi service in town (which really was only the one car).

Tris sighed, "I suppose there's worse places to be stranded at." She muttered.

A strange chuckle came from behind her and after a second of pause, her body froze again. "Oh shit." She whispered, just loud enough for her eyes but not enough for him to hear.

"You know, this is actually one of the last decent places on the coast. Most places are just filled with tacky tourist centres and shops that people don't even realise that the reason they came in the first place, is slowly fading into the background. But not here. People come here for the pure enjoyment of admiring coastal sceneries and the wonderful selection of wildlife—not for some man-built lagoon or some casinos out in the desert where they rip you off."

To say she was surprised would be an understatement, "How do you know so much about this place?" She paused for a thought, "Did you grow up here?"

There was silence then a cough and a sputter, "No... I just like to read." He answered uneasily but she brushed it off.

"Didn't take you for a reading type, Mr Student Professor. Or should I just call you Mr Professor now? Oh wise one!" She faked shouted, using the width of her arms to exaggerate her sarcasm.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Just Four will do."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Four?" She asked, "As in the number?"

"Yes. Exactly like the number."

"Interesting choice." She stated and he just shrugged.

"Just go with it."

"I think I prefer Mr Professor. Or better yet, Professor Four." She smacked her lips together and they formed a sly smile as she formulated a thought, "Yes I think I'll call you that."

"Oh god, please no!" He screeched and she burst out laughing. His face turned beetroot red and he was staring at his feet awkwardly. She continued laughing and he shuffled his feet uncomfortable with the embarrassment. _It was pretty funny. He was pretty funny._

"I'm just kidding." She extended out her hand for a shake and he took it. "Four it is then."

* * *

**A/N: **How was that? I know you're probably like I want Four/Tris now! But in this story, as in real life, it's never really that easy and straightforward. But it will be eventually. Thanks for reading (and your patience over the past few days)!


	6. Chapter 5

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

TRIS

They finally arrived at the motel. It wasn't as grand as their website described; it was actually a small white blocky building with two levels and a small car park out front, but what it did have was a magnificent view of the ocean. Tris had specifically asked for the room upstairs directly facing the sea and although she was informed that the room was rarely used and not as well decorated and prepared as the others, Tris still decided on that one.

She climbed the white stairs and walked right to the end. Her room was the furthest from the stairs and the hardest to get to, but Tris really didn't mind. Shoving the key through the door, she gave it a giant push and it opened with a creak. Inside was plain, nothing special; two beds laid parallel facing a wall that contained a small TV. Below it was a long bench that included the basic necessities; a kettle, a phone and of course, a mini fridge. She took a step into the room and from where she was standing, she could see the bathroom wasn't so big either. The room was tiny and it wasn't amazing but it wasn't like she was going to live there her whole life, she just needed a bed to sleep on for the next few days. And the room did just that, and more.

Tris was so exhausted from the flight and the long hours of waiting so she walked over to one of the beds, dropped her junk on the floor and crashed onto the hard bed with a huff. At this very moment, she neither cared that the bed beneath her was rock solid or that she had to be awake in an hour. She simply closed her eyes and slept. And by heaven, was it amazing.

She woke up to crashing sounds around her. Her eyes snapped open and she flung her head to where the noise originated from. At first she didn't recognise it, the once barren room was now filled with candles and clothes thrown everywhere. The delicious smell of coffee awoke her whole body, and it tensed in eagerness as her stomach rumbled. She inspected the room carefully, her eyes coming to a stop where a figure hunched over the mini fridge.

"Hello?" Tris called out, her voice wavering just slightly.

The head whipped around and she was met by a bright smiling face. "Oh hey! Didn't mean to wake you, I was just really hungry and well, there wasn't anything downstairs but horrible tasting coffee from a shitty machine that spits hot water out at you…" She blew a strand of hair that fell in front of her face. Her shoulders sagged and only at the realisation that Tris was still staring at her, she cheered up a little, "Anyway, my name is Christina, your roommate for this trip." She spoke, rather excitedly too. Tris knew she meant well and returned the kind smile.

"I'm Tris." She replied and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"I'm sorry I woke you." She sincerely apologised but Tris ensured her it was quite alright. "While you were sleeping, David called us to let us know that the dinner had been cancelled tonight so we have a whole evening to explore the town and do whatever we want. I was just about to go grab a bite to eat with some others. You can come along if you like?"

Tris nodded shyly.

"So how so you feel about Mexican?"

...

Tris was standing to herself while she, and the group she came with, waited for a table to be available. Some of the friendlier ones—although they were all so friendly—made an effort to talk to her. However, she had difficulty maintaining a conversation like always and this time certainly did not disappoint. She barely spoke to them for a minute before the fire dwindled out and they stood there in eerie silence. Uncomfortably with that, they politely excused themselves and shuffled away to where a more interesting conversation took place. Tris didn't mind—_well, not really—_they had made an effort to include her as much as they could, which she appreciated extremely much (and it was all one could really ask for right?), but it was all a little too overwhelming for her and she took a step back to breathe.

She watched as Christina and the five others chatted away. She admired Christina's courage and confidence greatly, as it was something Tris didn't have—and it wasn't because of the lack of trying before you ask. She had plenty of chances, but it seemed she didn't have that trait that everyone else had been born with. She just wasn't as lucky as others, she supposed.

So she stood, lonely to the brim, but somehow relieved that she didn't have to watch what came out of her mouth—_because a lot did_—and she never really tried to put a lid on it. Or having to act happy and smile every single time they spoke as it was getting awfully tiring. Tris didn't want to force a smile as it seemed insincere and fake, but she genuinely wanted the others to know how much she liked talking to them. Tris studied the group; watching every single person individually learning their personality, traits and habits. And a lot can be learnt from examining someone for a brief amount of time. Neither of the information was very important, just food for thought mostly, but it still intrigued Tris very much.

A waiter came out and they were soon informed that there would be another half an hour wait until a table would be available for them. However, he did let it slip that there was a table for six available but that would simply not work as there was seven of them. Everyone paused and looked around; no one said anything.

Until Tris did. "I can leave. It's no big deal. There's six of you and there's a table of six-

"Tris you don't have to." Christina interrupted.

"No it's quite alright. I was the one that intruded on your dinner plans so it is only fitting that I leave... but thanks for inviting me out anyway." Her voice came to a soft whisper as she turned on her heels and left without another word. She didn't want to admit that she, _maybe_, sort of (_yes_), wanted to socialise tonight. For a second, Tris thought she was going to make some new friends. But no it seemed not. (_At least not tonight anyway.)_

She spent the next hour wandering around the town. There was not a lot to do, so she found herself walking along the beach instead of eating. She convinced herself that she wasn't hungry, not wanting to face the embarrassment of going to dinner alone. So she settled on a nice stroll along the beach. It wasn't entirely boring; in fact, the beach held a nostalgic kind of air and Tris felt that she was finally able to feel **closure** from the childhood experience she never really had.

As she let the sand squish beneath her toes, she let out a much needed breath. She stopped in her tracks; closed her eyes, took another heavy breath in and sighed. It was like the knots in her shoulders were slowly being untangled, pulled away from her—much like how the waves were being dragged out to sea—and it felt amazing to have no weight on her for once. Tris looked out to see and saw the faint shadow, the yellow of the sun. It was hiding behind the horizon now and soon would disappear altogether. So she hurried along, taking bigger strides until she reached her destination.

Walking to the end of the pier, she quickly sat down, swung her legs over the edge and watched the rest of the beautiful sunset. It was magic to her eyes; and was almost a reminder of long forgotten days. She remembered how, as a child, she would watch the sunset from inside her house and now she was so close to it. Tris felt like she could reach out and grab it. Her hand, almost instinctively, reached out and only when she noticed what she was doing, stopped and retracted them close to her body. She let her eyes shut for one more time and felt the heat of the sun wane.

"Enjoying the sunset?" Someone asked and she peeked over her right shoulder, sparing the voice one split second of her attention before focusing it back on the horizon. She knew if her eyes lingered for a second more, she would be overwhelmed. She could already feel the tears forming but she bit them back harshly. _No, she would never let anyone have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. _

"Why is it that we keep meeting like this?" Tris composed herself; her outside was calm and safe, yet her insides screamed and burned. She had asked him a simple question but she wasn't expecting an answer.

She could feel his body shift and his eyes now upon her. She swallowed hard. "Maybe it's fate." He declared. "Or maybe it's because I like sunsets also?"

"Oh." He sighed at the lack of words and he plopped himself next to her. Feeling how close he was, and not liking the small distance between them, she shuffled over to make room, even though there was plenty to the other side of him. _Of course he's not here to see you. _For a split second, she thought he was here for her but boy oh boy was she so wrong_. _She wanted to smack herself for even believing it, even if it was for a second or two. _Why on Earth would you think that Tris? _She thought and it really was a difficult question to answer. Tris didn't know the answer and she doubted that Four would know also. So she opted for the next best thing, to distract him—but mores herself—from her emotional problems. "What do you like about sunsets?" She looked over at him, and she was actually intrigued to hear his answer.

He didn't speak. "It is the reason why you're out here… right?" Tris blinked furiously and when he still didn't answer, she didn't know whether to wait for a minute longer or walk away. "Well I tried." she spoke quietly to herself, "Guess I'm not destined to make any friends in this lifetime."

He sighed. "No it isn't." He turned and saw a confused look on her face, "Well, it is and it isn't." No one moved but the world beneath them kept spinning. "What I meant to say was, the sunset is beautiful and all but the real reason why I came out here was… was… you." The last word drifted out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Tobias was relieved that he had finally gotten the courage to speak his mind but at this very moment, where she said nothing, _or did nothing at all_, it terrified him (and not many things did these days).

"What did you say?" Her voice quivered.

It took a while for him to answer her and it wasn't easy with her eyes fully focused on him. Tobias cleared his throat and spilt his feelings, "I know I've only spoken to you for what? Two times? And for both, neither conversations lasted very long. That might've been partly my fault but when I saw you walk out of the restaurant with a tear on your face, I couldn't not come after you."

She felt a drop of water land on her cheek and she thought it was about to rain. Only a little later did she realise that it was her tears that was about to rain down on her. "Why?" She asked. She didn't know whether she would be grateful that someone cared for her, or surprised someone did. But she wanted to know more than anything, _why someone would_.

Tobias didn't reply, and truthfully, he didn't know what to say. So he sat with her, numb whilst they watched the last of the beautiful scenery.

The sun finally disappeared behind the horizon and with it, all its magic and glory went. A cold breeze drifted past and Tris shivered.

"Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

**A/N: **Here is probably the quickest update I've had for the past week. And bonus! It is also the longest. Considering I haven't written chapter 6 but I have done half of chapter 7, expect a slightly longer wait for the next chapter (probably 3-4 days). A big BIG thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed and reviewed (seriously, 51 follows in under 5 chapters! That is mind blowing)! Love you all very much and see you soon. :)


	7. Chapter 6

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

TRIS

"How's the food?"

"It's great. A little bland though," she commented, "could do with a little more seasoning." She picked at her food; no longer feeling the hunger. Instead of shovelling it in her mouth, she played with it on the ends of her fork. She turned to him, "How's yours?"

"Not bad."

There was more silence. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable silence that made your body itch all over but it wasn't that kind of silence where you can sit for hours without feeling awkward. Tris and Tobias weren't looking at each other, they were more interested in their food than anything else. That was only a distraction to what the situation really was. They were sitting on a table, in a nice restaurant, where the waiter had mistook them for a couple and placed a scented candle and some delicate roses between them. They fumbled with their words, trying to tell the kind man that they were just friends but he wouldn't listen and insisted that they made a lovely couple as he walked away. _That was the end of that..._

Both leaned back down with a heavy sigh. "Do you want anything else?" Tobias asked.

"No I'm fine. Thanks..." She replied softly. Then returned her eyes back down to her lap where her fingers twitched and fiddled with the napkin.

Sensing a more discomfort atmosphere than before, he prompted for them to leave. "Do you want to get out of here then?" She quickly shot him a nod and a grateful smile.

They headed out the restaurant without another word.

...

Tris and Tobias didn't know where they were heading to or where they were going to end up. It was the unspoken words between them that were the most loud. They didn't need words to say that they just needed to walk and breathe. One look was all it took, and off they went down the deserted road.

They had been walking for a while and had not seen anyone on their walk yet. The town was dead empty, no life filled the streets, like they did in Chicago. All that lit the gloomy road was the bright stars that shone up in the night sky. And they were breathtaking.

"Can I ask you something?" It was Tris.

"Yeah sure, go ahead."

Nodding, she went on. "Why did you ask me to dinner?" She snuck a peak through the corner of her eye, "Don't get me wrong it was lovely and I'm eternally grateful but to be honest, there is a million other girls that you could've taken. And it's just a little... Strange to me that you chose me. Out of all the girls who would be better suited to you, you picked me. And that just doesn't make any sense."

"Why would you be so surprised that someone would want to be friends with you?"

"Because no one ever does!" She yelled out loud, frustrated with the world. "Because no one ever sticks around long enough to care?" She whispered and suddenly, the mood saddened. The air around them thickened and soon it was hard to see, let alone breathe.

His mouth formed an 'O'; he was shocked to hear that, especially from a girl as strong and beautiful as Tris. "Well maybe if you gave me a chance, maybe I could show you that I'm different? That I'm not like the others." He paused, his feet ground themselves into the concrete and he whipped around to face her. Only she would not look him in the eye, tears racing down her cheek. "Maybe I won't be the most horrible friend?" He tried one last time.

_Friends and nothing more? _That thought made her head spin and her heart race but she couldn't keep repressing the feelings anymore. The thought of having friends terrified her, _but it had been so long since she had one_. And his words were somewhat comforting to her ears. (For she had been dying to hear those words for a _very_ long time.)

_"Maybe." _She answered. It wasn't a strong start but it was something.

Tris didn't say anything else and neither did Tobias. They continued to walk down in silence; nothing was heard but the soft 'cuckooo' of birds in the night and the whistle of the beachside winds rustling by. It brushed against her leg and made her shiver involuntarily. The night wasn't cold, it was approaching summer so it shouldn't be, but perhaps it wasn't the wind that was making goosebumps rise up on her flesh. Maybe it had something to do with Tobias.

(Actually, it had everything to do with him.)

Tris never got a full answer to her question; he never said why he was so drawn to her? Why he was so worried about a few tears running down her cheek that he left everything and came chasing after her? No, he did the complete opposite. He made her question more. About _everything_. Why did he want to be friends with her? Why he thought she was so special? Most of all, why did he choose _her_?

She tried to figure answers in her mind but it was all a tangled mess. He left her with more questions than she started with, and also left her body tingling with unease after his hand brushed hers accidentally. Her spine straightened immediately and she withdrew her hand with a snap. The sensation was very strange to her—she could not fully grasp whether she liked it or hated it—it was unreal, like nothing she had ever felt before. His hand was soft under her touch; warm and comforting. She could feel the blood rushing towards his palm, leaving heat flushing in its wake.

Despite what had just happened, all in all, it had been a good night. Tris was rather pleased. Originally, it had begun badly, walking out of the first eating place feeling unwanted and alone—a feeling she had thrust upon herself, she noted—though, she had later found another person to accompany her. One that gave her great joy when he spoke. And they did, about many things; about their lives back at school, their hobbies, their great loves and their even greater fears. The latter two were a sore subject for the both of them. Tris denied he had found any type of love, stating love wasn't real and that it was all an illusion. Tobias reasoned to that, "Although I never had a great love, I had many loves. One from my mother and one from my friends." Tris didn't care for his words, having felt no kindness in her life before. Love was foreign to her; it was to be cussed and thrown away.

Fear was a little different. The topic sort of manifested by itself. Not much was said, except when he asked her about what terrified her most, she answered this, "We are nothing without fear but we cannot let fear prevent us from doing the things we want to do." And it was sound advice. Something Tobias took to heart.

It was definitely not a normal evening; many ups and downs in one single night. It wasn't the conversations that made the night memorable but rather the person she shared the memories with.

"Tris." He spoke her name. It was so serene, the way his voice sounded. She wanted him to speak her name once more so she could revel in the beauty that left his lips.

"Hm?" She hummed, her thoughts dancing under the moonlight.

"Do you think you could give it a try?" He paused, "Do you think we could be friends?"

Looking back at the night, she was sure of one thing. And being Tobias's friend was just that. "Yes, I think so."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, that was not my greatest chapter. I wrote it and re-wrote it, just not satisfied with how it came out. In the end, I just had to post it regardless. So here it is. Hopefully it's better to you than it is to me.

PS. Updates should be around every 3 days because it's approaching exam time and I am studying my butt off now. Bye for now!


	8. Chapter 7

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

TOBIAS

When he showed up for breakfast the following morning, it was clear that something had ticked David off. He was more grouchy than usual and as a result of that, threw his shit in everyone else's face. Including, _and mainly_, Tobias's. Like Tobias had time to deal with all his bullcrap and deal with his unlevelled head at the same time. It was like everything was buzzing around in his head; perhaps if was the lack of sleep or maybe there was too much noise in there, it wasn't clear.

So instead of putting up with all of his crap, Tobias left David and the rest of the class for a breather. To be totally honest, Tobias knew David did not care for him; apparently, he had initially rejected having a student professor but the university made him. So he had to take Tobias under his wing. He didn't teach Tobias much, in fact he taught him close to nothing. He ignored Tobias throughout each lecture except when he wanted to prove a point to a student and would use Tobias—who under David's care—needed to agree with him on everything. In actuality, Tobias didn't agree on everything David said. Nonetheless, he was like another lab trained monkey, there to say yes obediently. Even though Tobias hated it, there was not much to do.

"David's a pain in the ass today isn't he?" He looked over and had expected to see Tris there. They would always seem to meet when one or the other was least expecting it. (They somehow found a way to fit perfectly into each other's company.) But looking over his shoulder, his shoulders sagged in disappointment when he didn't see Tris. Standing there was Christina, Tris's roommate. Granted she was loud and sometimes obnoxious, she was actually a really nice person who seemed to speak her mind freely more than once.

"More so than he usually is." Remarked Tobias dryly, not in the mood to keep a conversation with anyone. (But Tris.)

"Well I think he's just being a shit today because this trip is a complete waste of time and even he knows it. I guess that's what happens when you're promised an amazing trip down to the coast where you get to see real life scientists at work, but you actually get stuck with following around the guy that does the security checks and paper filing." She informed him. But he wasn't really listening. "You look tired. Did you not sleep well?"

"Actually I didn't." He snapped.

Shaking off his bad vibes, she continued to queer into his life. Which Tobias did not appreciate very much. "Why was that?" She said curiously, although a mischievous glint in her eye said she knew more than she spoke. "It doesn't happen to have something to do with Tris. Now does it?"

His cheeks flushed red at her name. Okay, if he wasn't interested in what he had to say before, she had his full attention now. He stuttered for words but found them not long afterwards though. "No." It was too quick. She squinted her eyes at him.

"Yes-no-maybe?" He squeaked.

She laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "I knew it!" She yelled. "She came back into the room later than usual and had this broad smile on her face. I assumed you had something to do with the late night."

"Wait, how did you guess?"

"I have my ways." She answered abruptly, though not giving him a sufficient reply. "Nah, I actually saw you run out the restaurant after her." She then turned her eyes on the floor, "I felt so bad that she had to leave and I was about to go chase after her but you beat me to that."

"Guess I did, huh?" He said, having not realised earlier how sudden and _how willing _he was to jump up and go after her. A girl he barely knew. "You're not surprised?"

"No, not really. I mean, Tris is an amazing girl and she'll go far. She lacks restraint in what she does, but she's also shy and introverted. And I know you'll only bring the best out of her." She shrugged casually as if what she said was clear as day.

"I haven't thought about it that way... I haven't thought about _her_ that way."

"Well, get to it soon. Because with a girl like that, she won't be single for long." And Tobias had to agree whole heartedly.

...

Tobias found himself outside Tris's hotel room a couple of hours later with a blindfold in one hand and with a packet of snacks in the other. And a whole lot of surprise tucked away in his back pocket.

He took a breath in and slowly released it. Bringing his hand towards the wooden door, he knocked tentatively. He listened carefully but upon not hearing anything, he decided to knock a little harder. This time he heard some mutters then the clanging of metal hitting the floor. He winced at the awful sound but immediately smiled brightly at the girl who answered the door.

"Tris!" He said excitedly.

Perhaps a little too ecstatically as she eyed him suspiciously. "Four..." She mumbled grumpily, obviously having just been woken up from an afternoon nap. Her hair was tousled messily and her eyes were half open. But standing dressed in pyjamas in the doorway, she had never looked better to Tobias.

"I was wondering if you would like to go for a stroll with me." He asked casually.

She squinted her eyes more, "We all know how great that turned out last time."

"Come on." He urged, "it'll be fun. I promise."

She stood with arms crossed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Tobias knew she wasn't going to move. So he brought out one hand; the one that held the packet of yummy treats. Jelly babies, her favourite.

Her eyes sparked up in delight and he could've sworn he saw a little dribble. "How about now?" He tried again.

Tris nodded eagerly and her mouth watered in anticipation. "Give me a sec! I just need to change." She yelled and ran into the bathroom, hastily chucking on jeans and a long sleeve top she found. She checked in the mirror to see she had not dribbled on her cheek before running back out the hotel room.

"Where are we going?" She beamed.

"It's a surprise." He smiled cheekily. He pulled out the blindfold and held it up to eye level. She immediately shook her head, backing away.

"No. No way!" She yelled. "There's no way you're getting that on me!"

"Come on." He jutted his hand out and reached for hers. "Just trust me." He soothed, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. He looked at her and she could sense something in his eyes; trust and gentleness. He didn't want to hurt her. So at that thought, she slowly calmed beneath his touch and relaxed as he wound the fold tightly around her eyes.

"Then at least tell me where we're going."

"That would ruin the surprise!"

* * *

**A/N: **This has got to be one of the quickest chapters ever written and I apologise so much for the long wait and an iffy chapter! I totally spaced and last night, I was like holy crap I have to write AND post chapter 7. So this was pretty much a last minute write at like 3am in the morning. As usual, please excuse any spelling/grammar mistakes and I'll try to re-read over it when I've got a clearer head!

Thanks so much for your patience! (Can't believe it's been a week since the last chapter! Whoops)


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **I am changing this rating to M so I just wanted to give everyone a warning (but I am definitely not saying there won't be any sex scenes later if that is what viewers want). Sorry this story just suddenly turned depressing… Anyway, I won't put another note at the end, so enjoy!

* * *

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

TOBIAS

Orange and pink streaks had begun to light up the sky, signaling that once again, the sun was about to go hide behind the horizon. It had taken them a while—two hours of walking to be exact—to get to the surprise Tobias had been mentioning. Partly because Tris had to walk blindfolded which dampened how fast they could go, but mainly because, it was a hard place to get to.

They were now standing in front the biggest Ferris wheel he had ever laid his eyes on. It was white and he could see rust snaking its way up the heavy metal rods. Scrapes and small breaks travelled up the metal as far as the eye could see and beyond. It was no way in condition to be ridden, which was why there was a warning sign and metal bolted chains surrounding the area. The big blazing orange rectangular post read, 'Safety hazard. Please do not enter.' He avoided the actual wheel; he didn't intend to ride it—he didn't actually have a death wish—he was more interested in what was behind it.

Whilst still holding onto Tris' hand, he navigated his way in and out of the Ferris wheel, entering one side and coming out the other completely unscathed. This was the easiest way to get to the secret location, that didn't actually involve _real_ trespassing. Besides, he had done before and it was totally safe. (Granted, it was by accident this morning. And truth was, he was just making it up as he went. In reality, he knew nothing about this place.)

She gripped onto his hand tighter when they heard sounds of drilling and construction works nearby. Tris pulled herself closer to his body; and he could feel the heat flushing to every single part she touched. Beneath her fingers, he could feel his blood rushing but he looked away, trying to resisting the urge to hold her close. Trying to ignore the unstable feeling, he continued to lead her the rest of the way there. Tobias made double sure to not let Tris fall. (One, because he would have to listen to her whine about it for the next few hours. Two, he didn't want to see her hurt.) So, his fingers coiled around hers more tightly.

"Almost there." He consoled her.

He could hear her rapid breathing. Her lips were so close to his ear that he could feel each moist breath she took and each cool exhale that left. This made him shiver slightly.

"And..." He drew it out in suspense, "we're here!" His voice was bursting with excitement. Tris herself began to jiggle with nerves, waiting impatiently as Tobias struggled with the blind folds.

"Hurry up!" She snapped, "I want to see where we are." Her feet danced under her and her fingers twitched with nerves.

He slowly and purposely took the blindfold off painfully slow, making her huff out in anger. He chuckled when he saw her pout. Once the blindfold was off and her eyes began to re-adjust to the different lighting, she opened her mouth in amazement. "Wow." She mumbled, "this is beautiful Tobias." This was a little more gentle.

They were now standing on the rooftop of a twenty story building that overlooked the coast. From here, she could see a clear view of the horizon and the lights that lit up the town. It was all so breath taking and a little exhilarating. Tris could see as far as the airport; the small flickering dots of the runway and she could even see her motel room clearly from where she was standing. Christina was obviously back at the room. The flashing lights that reflected off the window pane suggested that she was having a party. However, the dancing bodies that could be seen through the sheer curtains definitely made it clear that there was a rager on. Tris giggled to herself, glad that Christina got to have her own fun too tonight.

"What do you think?"

Tobias was now standing next to her and Tris could feel her cheeks starting to heat up. She tried to keep her stare straight ahead but she could feel it wavering. As if, like the very first time they met, something was making her look at him. She turned to face him and their eyes met. They locked on to each other, afraid to look away. The moment was like nothing she had ever felt before; there was mystery, warmth, fire and passion. It was strange and odd... But she found it comforting.

"I think it's beyond words. Nothing can ever describe this..." She whispered. Her words felt like they were floating on clouds. Her words felt weightless and she did too.

"It's quite the beauty isn't it?" He replied, "actually stumbled onto this by accident. Was going for a run this morning—and didn't know when to stop—so I found myself here. Climbed up to the top to get a good look at where I was. That didn't turn out so well but nonetheless, we're here. Aren't we?" He gestured to everything around them; the metal bars that their hands rested upon, the beautiful scenery and town they had just come from and of course, the clear night sky.

"Yes we are." She closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. "And I'm glad I got to share this with you."

"Me too." He replied and he meant it. He would not trade this moment for anything.

...

The night had sprung upon them, but neither made any move to leave. They had spent the last couple hours speaking about menial things; hobbies, interests, family members and the sort. It was small chit chat but only the beginning of a much deeper friendship.

When he looked over at her, she was perched on the ledge, her arms stretching out beyond. He watched as her eyes sparkled with pure happiness. She was staring up at the night sky, her arms above her head as if she was reaching for the heavens. She gleamed with beauty and radiance. He would never forget the way she smiled contently as she gazed into the stars. He had never seen someone so taken by something, it was a captivating sight -one to remember.

"They're beautiful aren't they?" She whispered, slowly lowering her back into the grass. "I hadn't noticed they were so bright tonight."

Tobias made himself comfortable next to her but remained silent.

"I always make an effort to look up at the stars each night. It's a constant reminder that while everything else on Earth is rotten and evil, there is something that is still beautiful and pure in my life." She blinked, but her gaze never shifted. "I wonder what it would be like if I died. Would I not feel anything at all? Or would I just fade out of existence?" She asked but she seemed to only be looking for an answer within herself. "When I die, I hope to become one of those." She pointed at the stars, "I want to rest in a place where everything is not spoiled. I want to remain pure and happy." There was silence, "But I know I won't be. I'm already defective."

It was the first time he ever heard such a thing from, well, anybody. Normally people denied speaking about the afterlife, simply because they knew they would never end up happy after this life. But she was in no way like the others; the way she spoke about dying was different. It was almost as if she was embracing death and greeting it like it was a friend. While she talked about the stars and their eternal happiness, there was a depressing undertone to her words. And it shook Tobias to the core.

"Well it's my belief that when you do die, you'll get to choose who or what you'll be. I know I have probably lived a thousand lives, but I don't think I could bare to live another one. Not after what I've witnessed in the world. This world is far too gone to be saved." Shivers raced down his spine and he looked at her quizzically.

"Not everything in this world is destructive Tris. Humanity, us, we have the opportunity to achieve greatness. In the past, we have lacked a great leader. But when we do find one, one that can inspire goodness and equality, we will not all be terrible beings." He spoke softly, "But right now, not all of us are the horrid creatures you make us out to be. There are some good ones out there, like you."

"I'm in no way good." She whispered, "I'm broken and impure. There's nothing in me that's good." She replied a little louder.

"Everything I see in you is good, Tris. You have this way of seeing beauty in everything, so why can't you do that to yourself." He breathed, "Why can't you see the beauty in yourself the way I can see it?"

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked surprised.

"I think you're all sorts beautiful Tris. You're wonderful, you're amazingly talented, you're the embodiment of everything that is good in the world." He mumbled under his breath, "I only wish that you can see it too."

"I wish I can see it too because all I can see now is a cracked shell and a broken inside."

"Maybe you've got to look harder." He insisted, "or maybe you're too stubborn to see that you're beautiful to everyone but yourself."

"Maybe." And that was all she said.


	10. Chapter 9

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

TRIS

"Well?"

"Well what?" Tris echoed.

"Well, what happened with Tobias?" Christina demanded, eager to dive into the juicy gossip that was Tris and Tobias.

The truth was simple—she had forgotten all about last night—she had come home, tired and just, so mentally exhausted that she fell asleep in her old clothes. Now, the subject was brought back to light and her thoughts were stirring in her head already. Yet she was only half awake for Christ sake!

She groaned and slammed her fist onto the pillow, soon after her head followed. She plonked back onto the bed, sleep deprived, hungry and just not in the mood. "Nothing happened with Tobias." She murmured, pushing her face just slightly off the pillow long enough for her to mumble those few words.

"What do you mean nothing happened!" She screeched, "you were out with him for six whole hours! And you say nothing happened in those six hours? That is insane!" Christina was going berserk, like off the hook crazy. Usually Tris would be overwhelmed that someone was so interested in her life, that someone actually wanted to be her friend but today she really wasn't in the mood. (She just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.)

"What aren't you telling me?" Christina then asked suspiciously. Her movements slowed and she was now sitting upright, scanning her eyes over Tris's unmoving body, almost as if she was commanding Tris to speak.

"We were just talking." Tris barled back, a little more snippy than her cheerful self.

"About what?" She promoted.

There was no answer.

"Come on. Spill. I want to hear all about your date with the handsome professor." She wiggled her eyebrows and pointed them upwards suggestively. She then stared Tris down, watching her, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. She reminded Tris a lot of a fierce wild cat. They were dangerous and you had to tread carefully around them. If you step on their tail, they'll bite. And they'll do so hard. The last thing Tris needed was Christina snooping around her own confused thoughts and muddling them up.

Tris needed time and space away from Christina to organise her thoughts and deal with her confused emotions once and for all.

"Nothing happened Christina. Just let it go." Tris had finally snapped. And boy was it not pretty.

The memories of last night floated around in her head; they were coming in flashbacks—having previously been too far in the clouds to remember much. Sparks ignited in her brain; small words and phrases hitting her like little lightning bolts. Tris laid in her bed; thinking but unmoving; warm but cold; settled but uneasy.

The whole scene with Tobias had been way more than she had ever been comfortable but this felt different, strange, and it left an awfully deep hole in her stomach. There was this thing about Tobias that she couldn't really put her finger on. For one, he was always just _there, even if _you didn't want him there_. _Surprisingly though, she seemed to enjoy his company far more than she had—well, enjoyed anyone's. It was weird, because he didn't strike her as one for making friends. He walked around with this aura that screamed loneliness and bitterness. Obviously, this was no longer true, he was an amazing person that had a heart and soul as big as the Earth and more—which was the second thing that immediately struck Tris. He was tenfold more amazing than anyone she had met, he had the most gentle soul and it intrigued Tris.

He made her feel things she hadn't wanted to feel—courage, friendship, loyalty. That was the package in which Tobias came in. She wanted nothing more than to turn and run at the first sign of any weakness, just so she didn't have to face disappointment. But when Tobias came along, he changed her. Whether it was emotionally or physiologically it didn't matter.

She hissed and groaned at the words that burned into her mind, the memories that would remain with her forever.

(_4 hours ago)_

She needed to let these words out or it would burst inside her. She reached over and grabbed her phone, punching in letters on the small keyboard before slamming it back onto the beside table with a heavy sigh.

An hour later, she was waiting outside Tobias's hotel room. She had messaged him to meet outside his room because she had something to say. She didn't say what, and she could tell he was feeling a little anxious. It was nothing unlike what she was feeling at that moment. It felt as if all the blood in her body was rushing to her head and she was left wheezing uncontrollably.

When she heard the door open and close behind her, she struggled back the heaving breathing and tried to replace it with a calm exterior. (It was fooling nobody though.)

"Hey." It was Tobias.

"Hey." She shot back.

"What's up?" He asked, "what did you want to talk about?"

She didn't answer.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?" He growled the latter.

"No." She swallowed, "um..." She was already struggling for words and it hadn't even been a minute yet. "I just wanted to tell you something—"

"—okay, but I have to tell you something first." He interrupted.

She nodded, "Okay, go ahead. What is it?" She asked shakily.

"I think I'm starting to fall for you—"

"—ok, good—"

"—But it's wrong." He added, rather much too quickly. Her face dropped, her eyes saddened. What once lit up with hope and innocence now turned somber and dark.

"Why?" She whispered and shut her eyes, half wishing he wouldn't answer.

Only he did. "I'm kind of seeing someone." _And it broke her to pieces. _

"Oh." Tears welled in her eyes and before he could speak more.

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She ran.

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And she kept on running.


	11. Chapter 10

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

TOBIAS

_5 hours ago_

They were now back at Tris's hotel room. The walk back had been silent but pleasant. Neither seemed to mind the lack of words hanging in the air.

"Goodnight Tobias." Tris leaned closer, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Her lips lingered for a second far too long and he could feel all the blood vessels rushing to the surface. He was certain, yes, 100 percent sure, that he was blushing by now. "Thank you for an amazing night." She whispered into his ear before she moved back towards the open doorway.

Before he could speak again, she was back in her room and he was left standing in the cold speechless. The cold wind grazed and nipped at his bare skin, but he could feel nothing but her words embracing him in a bundle of warmth. And he was sure, that those words would remain with him eternally.

"You're welcome." He finally answered—a little too late—and the words drifted into emptiness.

The night had been spectacular. It was everything he had hoped a date would ever be—if it was one—it was absolutely incredible. She was incredible. The time from sunset until midnight was well spent; nothing had ever felt so serene to Tobias. It was different from most dates, there was no awkward moments, no sexual tension. (That usually ended up as one night stands—so technically, those were not dates, they were just nights where he lower half had gotten the better of him.) It was natural, but sex was nothing more than enjoyment for him; it was a way to pass time and relieve stress. With Tris, there were no times where he only wanted to get her out of her pants. If anything, he wanted her to stay in them. She was perfect; she didn't need to show off her cleavage through skimpy tops or wear impossibly short skirts. Instead, he was content the way she was. She trotted around effortlessly—not like she was better than everyone else—but like it mattered; like there was a purpose to everything she did. She didn't feign interest where she had none, rather she told you straight up her opinions on the matter. Tobias if she wasn't the most talkative bunch out of the group or wore the most make up—which, by the way, she did not—because he was happy accepting her the way she was.

Because there was nothing wrong with her. She was _already_ flawless to him.

He found himself thinking about Tris and how all the little things she did came to be so mesmerising to him. It was the most minuscule things that grabbed his attention, and oh, how they were such a distraction in the classroom—and elsewhere too. There was something—and everything—about Tris that captivated him, and threw him so desperately off his game. He was always smooth, and could easily convince any girl to fall for him, but with her, she was different. She had rejected, almost downright shoved him aside the very first time they met. It was the way she didn't give a rats ass about what everyone else thought of her, that Tobias instantly knew, _he had to know her._

He had felt it the very first time they met, and he had felt it again tonight. It was like he was a puppet, and someone was pulling at his strings; his heart strings. At first, he tried to deny that the one girl that didn't fall at his feet was the only girl he wanted. And boy, did he want her bad. The more she tried to push him away, the closer he got. He pried himself into her life and made damn certain he would remain there. After all, to Tobias, there would be no life after this girl.

And as he walked back to his room, he knew, he was certain, that _she was the one_.

As he opened the door to his own hotel room, he heard muffled whispers and the failed sounds of what should've been silent footsteps. He whipped his head around, expecting a few drunk kids but found himself alone on the terrace. Shrugging, he convinced himself it was probably the howling of the wind picking up speed. He turned back around to the door and pushed it until it was fully open. He made a move to step in, only someone grabbed him from behind, struck something hard against his head. He fell to the floor with a thump and they dragged him into the darkness.

...

When Tobias came back to, he was now in what felt like a cold cellar with his eyes blindfolded. He could smell the dampness of plaster, a result of the horrible plumbing that leaked behind the walls of the room. Beneath his feet, he could feel solid concrete and scratchy ropes that dug into his skin every time he tugged on it. His hands were bound to the wooden chair he was sitting on, and he head felt sore from where he was struck—which most likely left a nasty bruise, if not an bloodied gash.

"What do you want?" He mumbled, still trying to gain feeling in the left side of his body—the side he landed on when he fell—and also enough strength to break free of these bonds. "I don't have any money!" If it was money they wanted, they sure as hell wouldn't get it, because he had none.

He had laughter. Only it was more of a cackle than anything really. The voice made 'Tsk' sounds and Tobias could only imagine the face that went along with it. "Found yourself a little tied up, haven't you?" It mocked, inducing laughter from another associate. A second later, another voice joined in on the howling.

"What do you want?" Tobias demanded; more furiously and with more strength this time.

Laughter again. "Oh, it's quite simple, Tobias. We want Tris."

Tobias' body shook with anger at the mention of her name. He growled and his fists clenched until his knuckles were pure white. "You will never have Tris!" He screamed, his voice breaking and hoarse. "I won't let you."

"But you will." The voice teased. "You will see in time."

"I will be there to stop you." Tobias counteracted. "I will be there to protect her"

This time, the whole room echoed with murderous laughter. "How will you be able to do that? When you can't even protect yourself." Tobias narrowed his eyes through the blindfold; did he just insinuate that?

_They don't know about Marcus do they? No. They don't. They're just trying to bait you. _He argued, and it wasn't a solid reason but he could always come back to this subject later—after he kicked their asses—but right now, he needed to know what they plan to do with Tris.

He swallowed his dignity and let their smart comment slide. "What do you want with Tris?" He asked angrily.

"That's nothing to concern yourself with." It replied simply. But all Tobias could feel was their smug smiles that plastered their face. He fumed inside, but remained silent. "We'll get to you soon enough."

Tobias struggled more; tugging, pulling at the ropes but they only burned his skin more. He ignored the pain and kept trying to free himself so he could kill these sons of bitches that threatened his and Tris' life. However, the more he failed, the more laughter there was.

"Don't even bother. You're not going anywhere." It was snarky, "not unless you do one thing."

He didn't want to ask, for once, he was _afraid what they would say_. Tobias was reluctant to ask, but he went for the bait anyway, "What is it?"

"We need you to break up with Tris—"

"—what—"

"—I know you're not officially dating, but everyone in this goddamn universe knows you two are trying to jump into each other's pants so I'll make it easy for you. You either end whatever you have with her now..." Tobias felt a lump in his throat grow, "or you wait for her to confess her feelings then you _break_ her."

"Why do you want this?" He was now screaming, "What does me and Tris got anything to do with you!"

"A lot more than I'm going to tell."

"I'm not going to hurt Tris for your little stupid games!" Tobias yelled, his throat dry and scratchy, and his body felt like it was being set alight.

It answered, "Let's put it simply. By the end of tonight, you are going to break her. You are going to make sure she won't be able to pick up the pieces ever again. Do you understand?"

"NO!" Tobias was now thrashing manically in his seat. "I will not hurt her like that!" His voice was screeching and breaking but he couldn't give up. He can't give in to them. "I won't do it."

"You will do as I say, or your little play toy will find herself in a little—should we say, _accident_?" His abductors were now laughing hysterically as if pain made them excited. Those sadistic bitches. Oh, how he would make them pay when he was finally free of these bonds.

"Don't you fucking threaten her!" He growled aggressively, then calmed a little, "Don't drag Tris into this." He found himself begging, pleading them to stop. He didn't care how weak he looked, if this meant saving Tris' life, he would do it.

Only, he was shot down as soon as he spoke, "She's already in this Tobias. She's in this because of _you_."

"You fucking asshole! I will kill you!"

"Do whatever you want, but you won't be able to touch me." It paused, "As for Tris, it's sad to see such a pretty thing broken." The words lingered in his mind, and Tobias could feel the violent and abusive thoughts that came to his mind.

"—Don't you dare touch her—" Tobias warned.

"Oh, I won't. As long as you do your part. By the end of tonight, she will be broken and you will be the one to have done it. Because we both know, I'm willing to kill to get what I want. So the question isn't _are_ you going to do it—it is _how_ you are going to do it."


	12. Chapter 11

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

TOBIAS

Tobias woke up with a killer headache. He froze, slowly turning his head, scared what he would find. He slowly relaxed a little when he saw he was back in the comfort of his own hotel room. He let out a few ragged breaths, and calmed himself. His mind spun with a thousand words, but only a few remained behind. The memories came flooding back to him. Slowly but painfully.

_By the end of tonight, she will be broken and you will be the one to have done it. Because we both know, I'm willing to kill to get what I want. So the question isn't are you going to do it—it is **how** you are going to do it."_

The thought of hurting Tris made his heart ache terribly, but he couldn't even begin to imagine the pain those people would inflict if he had not help up his part. Tobias loathed them for making him do such a horrid thing to Tris, but the thought of that guy, putting his hands on _his_ Tris, made his spine crawl.

He pushed himself up, and sat with his back leaning against the bed head. He looked to his left and saw an empty bed—like it had been for the past few days—but somehow the room felt sadder, and lonelier than ever.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bright light flashing. It was his phone. Probably just a stupid text message from the phone company, he thought. He sighed heavily, exhausted and fatigued but unable to fall back asleep. Tobias was scared to be in his own skin but he was even more terrified for Tris. He was absolutely petrified what they would do to her. He had sworn to himself that when he finally found the one, he would always protect her. And he was 100 percent sure, Tris was the one. But only now, did he doubt his capabilities to protect her from harm.

He groaned and brought his fist down hard on the pillow. He felt it shake from the brute force. There was more anger inside of him than there ever was, but he couldn't get rid of it. It just burned, like his own thoughts and feelings furled them on.

Wanting to distract himself, he picked up his phone, deciding to check to scroll endlessly. When he saw the one name, he hoped never to see again tonight, he puffed a saddened sigh.

On the outside, he reminded himself that he was doing this to protect her, but on the inside he knew, if he really wanted to protect her, he wouldn't hurt her like this.

In no way was Tobias okay with this, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn't keep dragging Tris into his miseries. He cared for her far too much—but that was about to end soon enough. Well, after tonight, Tris would never ever speak to him again and he would loathe himself for that.

...

When he came out of his room a little while later, his shoulders slumped in anticipation when he saw her there. Her back facing him but he could already feel his heart race. He sighed, exhaling through his nose. He was prepared; he wasn't going to cry, he wasn't going to feel, he was just going to do it.

"Hey." He spoke as calmly as he could, but his insides were crying out, screaming at him.

"Hey." She answered, turning around to face him.

"What's up?" He asked trying to sound as nonchalant as he could, "what did you want to talk about?"

She didn't answer. And Tobias was getting more fidgety and anxious as the seconds ticked by. As the silence pursued, his mind began to think of the most horrible scenarios as why she could be here, wanting to talk to him.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?" He growled the last part. If they had hurt her, he would hunt them down and make them pay. He didn't realise that after this conversation, he would be the one perpetrating the same crime; perhaps that was an excuse to make himself pay too. He knew, after this, he would never be able to look himself in the eye—let alone Tris.

When she finally answered, he could tell she was nervous. "No." She swallowed, "um...I just wanted to tell you something—"

"—okay, but I have to tell you something first." He jut in.

She opened her mouth as if to finish her sentence but closed it in acknowledgment. She nodded tentatively and spoke softly, "Okay, go ahead. What is it?" She asked shakily.

"I think I'm starting to fall for you—" (_Here it goes. This will be the very last time I ever talk to her. Say goodbye to everything, every moment you've spent with her because they were all for nothing now.)_

"—ok, good—"

"—But it's wrong." He added, rather much too quickly. He watched as her face dropped and her eyes sagged to the ground. He couldn't bear to look at her. He turned slightly, shifting his feet so he was no longer facing her.

"Why?"

And when she spoke he could feel his heart breaking too. You have to Tobias. You have to do it, to protect her. _Do it_. His mind screamed, _Do it. Do it now!_

"I'm kind of seeing someone." He shut his eyes and waited for her to scream, yell, slap him but nothing happened. He had expected her to react crazed, but when nothing happened, he slowly turned to her. He saw those eyes that were once hopeful and happy, were now filled to the brim with tears. He could tell, she was trying not to cry, but it was slowly slipping.

"Oh."

And she let the first tear fall. Then all the rest followed, and before he could say more, she ran. She bolted down the stairs, from his room, into the emptiness of the night.

"I'm so sorry Tris." He whispered, and it just floated in the air—hanging there. And for the first time in his life, he let his first tear slide.

He stood there, lonely and unfeeling—it seemed, that in the process of hurting Tris, he had also broken himself. The chill of the night soon washed over him, and he shivered. Half because of the cold night and because he wasn't wearing a sweater. The other half because he knew what he did to Tris would haunt him longer than it would her.

He sighed and placed his head into his palms. His whole body weight was now supported on his fragile elbows and his wobbly knees.

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"What have I done?"

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_The answer was simple though but no part of him wanted to hear it._

* * *

**A/N: **I am so so sorry for not updating in over a week, I've just been cramming for exams and have had no time (or inspiration for that matter) to write anything. I promise after the next two weeks updates will be more frequent and better! Also, I'm asking around for anyone who would like the opportunity to help me with some chapters (AKA fluffy parts later in the story because god knows I can't write fluff to save my life). Anyway, I won't need you too soon but maybe a few weeks from now. So if you're interested, please send me a message.

And I would like to thank everyone for your ongoing support, the amount of readers and followers this story has gotten is amazing! I've never expected anything like this - so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!


	13. Chapter 12

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART 1: Change_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

TRIS

_(Present)_

Overall, the trip had been terrible—well the last few days have been. For Tris, she had been holed up in her hotel room, refusing to leave the comfort of her own bed. She argued with Christina that she was just sick, but they both knew, it had nothing to do with the flu.

Tris wasn't feeling that great. In fact, she was miserable. And she had been for the past couple of days—at least, ever since _that_ night—now, more than ever, she just wanted to go home. She didn't want to stay in this town, where she barely knew anyone and where the only solace she could seek was in the comfort of fluffy pillows and good tasting chocolate. She was alone all here—granted, she was alone back there too—but here felt unnatural; different; and she felt homesick (now more than ever).

It was the last day of the tour and that finally meant the end of the very exhausting trip. Tris sighed in relief and went around the room; gathering all her belongings. When satisfied that she had collected all her things, she closed the door to the hotel room and walked to the bus waiting in the car park.

The bus ride to the airport was ridiculously long; Tris sat by herself. It wasn't by choice but regardless, she would've preferred it that way. Having dealt with Tris' "I don't want to talk about it" phase, Christina left her well alone—but Tris didn't know whether she was grateful for that or not.

They finally boarded the plane, having been assigned to specific seats. Tris found her seat with ease and plonked down heavily. As she breathed out, her shoulders sagged and then heaved. It was as if all the tension has been driven out of her body. The relief was heavenly and Tris rather appreciated it—having felt nothing but sadness and regret for the past few days.

She, of course, being Tris, had requested a window seat. Out of habit, nonetheless. But it wasn't any less embracing. The seat was by far, not comfortable at all, and it was rather small and cramped. However, considering Tris' small frame, she slotted in perfectly. She ignored the hard cushion beneath her and looked out the window, saying goodbye to the small town. It had been pleasant, rather nice actually—despite the Tobias drama—and she was almost considering going back. But that would mean that everywhere she walked, everywhere she sat, it would remind her of Tobias and how he had... _He had hurt her. _

Speaking of the devil, she looked back to observe the size of the plane and saw none other than Tobias himself. Their eyes met briefly but she snapped them away before anything could happen—not that anything _was_ going to. She felt like his eyes were trying to say something to her; but in the state of mind she was in—and with all the crap he had given her—she really didn't want to know—or care.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the window. She could feel the sun shining on one side of her face. It was softly giving off warmth and she hummed herself to herself sleepily, gazing at the empty seat beside her.

(And as her eyes fell drooping, a small tear slipped and she whispered sadly, "here's to another crappy year.")

...

When she woke up, she was met by a bright smiling face. Stunned, she blinked a couple of times. "Um..." She began.

Before she could register what was going on, she felt a hand shoot out from nowhere, "Hi! I'm Will." He said in a cheery voice.

She eyed him for a moment then answered with whatever energy she had left to spare, "Tris."

He chuckled, "You look exhausted." He commented. "Rough few days, huh?"

"I guess you could say that." She rolled her eyes—if only he knew, she thought to herself. "Seems like I'm having a lot of those lately.

"Tell me about it." He agreed softly. He could sense that she didn't really want to talk about it and he quickly changed onto a more enlightening subject, "were you on that disastrous trip as well?"

Tris laughed. (For the first time in a long while too.) "Yeah, I was." She then looked at him curiously. There he was, a complete stranger, so willing to go out of his way to make others laugh. She could feel her insides smiling and for that fleeting moment, she felt just a little bit happier. She appreciated it very much. More than he would ever know.

His eyes were still sparkling with laughter as he continued on, "Then you agree it was horrible, right?"

She laughed, again, "that it definitely was." She brought her eyes to look at him in the face. Her eyes narrowed and her brows dipped in confusion, "how come I haven't met you before?" She asked, curiosity sparking.

"I've been here and there." He joked, gesturing wildly to the world beneath them. "No, I'm actually in your lecture?" Her eyebrows only furrowed more, "I'm friends with your roommate, Christina?"

"Oh." Her mouthed formed around the word, and little reminders flicked at her brain.

"So you do know me?" He questioned.

"A little... Only what Christina babbles about in her dream." Tris teased and his cheeks flushed crimson red. She punched him in the arm, "You better not hurt her." Tris joked, but the seriousness was there. "She's an amazing girl. And I wouldn't expect any less for her. So you make sure you treat her right." He nodded but didn't say more.

There was silence; she was looking out the window for any means of escape—it was blatantly obvious that Tobias was still staring holes in the back of her head. She sighed inwardly, then exhaled loudly. After a minute, she brought her attention back to this boy, who at the first instance he sat down had begun to make conversation with her. It was odd, and her curiosity had gotten the better of her, hence why the talk had lasted so long. But she was really intrigued as to why, despite knowing her for only a second, he would talk to a complete stranger. Only after a few more seconds did she realise this was how she met Tobias.

Tris let out a loud puff and slumped back into her seat, her head once again pounding with memories of Tobias. She brought her fingers to her eyes and rubbed them furiously. She could feel his gaze shift upon her. She didn't need to open her eyes to feel that he was now going to ask her about this.

"What's gotten you so down?" He commented quietly.

Silence.

She looked away, staring into the distance and spoke simply. "It's nothing."

"Is he someone special to you?" It was sincere.

She nodded weakly and muttered, "He could've been." Her eyes grew tired and she was feeling a little drowsy. As she cast her eyes off to the side, she caught a glimpse of the sad smile he gave her. She replied in kind and moved her eyes elsewhere. "Have you ever been in love?" She whispered.

But he had heard her clear enough. "I have."

"And what did that feel like?"

"Like my body was being set alight every minute of every day." He looked back over at her slumping posture and her lack of energy and sighed, "it's difficult to explain; I guess you feel like you're both floating on clouds and also like you're vulnerable. I don't know, it makes you feel strange things."

"How do you know you've fallen for someone?"

"I don't know—you sort of just _know_. I guess the hardest part is admitting that you've fallen for someone. That's always the hardest step to take. But after that, it shouldn't be too hard."

"Seems like I'm not doing it right then." She commented, her eyes now closed to prevent tears from spilling.

"Love isn't easy—nobody ever said it was. But if it's the right person, you'll know—_you'll feel it in your bones that it is just so right_—and in the end, love is always worth fighting for."

She didn't say anything more.

"I have a saying, and I believe it with all my soul: life always has a way of surprising you; an unusual way of bringing people back together; of giving us hope where there was none. I find it comforting; and I feel like it gives me strength to wake up each morning." He looked back at her, "maybe I'll do the same for you." He then whispered one last thought, "I really do hope you find what you're looking for."

"I really hope so." She whispered.

...

When the plane touched down a few hours later, she was one of the first people off the plane. She had hastily unfastened her seatbelt, grabbed her belongings and rushed out the plane. She couldn't bare to stay in a cramped area where she felt the full Flint force of Tobias staring at the back of her head. If she was there for any longer, she could've sworn that she would've burst.

The solid ground beneath her feet was very comforting. It put her whole body to ease, having previously been a fit of jitters. She had been a wreck that trip—in the past two weeks, she'd felt more emotion than in her entire life. She had experienced fleeting moments of happiness, pure joy, then sorrow, and regret. She could feel a change coming—she wasn't the same girl she was at the start of the year. She was different, though her outside looked the same. She was hollow on the inside now; filled by nothing but emptiness.


	14. Chapter 13

**HERE TO STAY**

* * *

.

.

.

_Part II: New beginnings_

_._

_._

_._

* * *

**Chapter 13**

TRIS

The days of the trip were long gone and past. It was a new semester, which meant new beginnings and ends to what once was. It wasn't easy but she had managed to push all negative thoughts from last semester far from the accessible parts of her mind. Tris had settled back down into her old routine—where she would often spend her days off from work studying down at the local library or at her favourite cafe, alone as she always was. She had busied herself, buried deep within the smell of fresh books and printed pages. Novels and reading were always her means of escape when reality got tough. It wasn't easy but with much time and space to heal, she was finally able to escape the memories of the trip. (The ones that had haunted her dreams.)

The week days had swiftly passed by and the weekend came, which meant that she had two days off to do whatever the hell she wanted. Damn she could do anything; but in her mind only one thing would suffice. She quickly slipped on some running pants and a t-shirt, stuffed some money in her pocket and ran out the door.

The cool air was refreshing on her skin. There was something nice about getting out after being cooped up in your room all day. Tris found herself wandering the lonely streets of the neighbourhood; she could hear happy voices cheering from within and the warmth that omitted from each household. She sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets and scurried along.

The trees were bustling with the slight wind and it lifted her every few steps or so as if hurrying her to her destination. She kept walking, embracing the chill as night slowly crept closer. The hairs on her arms began to rise and she could feel goosebumps on her bare skin. The wind was rough and coarse on her soft flesh but she nestled further to her own core and quickened her pace.

Tris walked for a long time before she stopped; eventually she couldn't feel the cold of the night anymore. The silence of the night still bothered her to the bone. The silence was deafening. She looked to her right and saw a small building, with inviting lights. Curiously, she wandered over to the diner. She looked inside; it was small but humble. She slipped inside hastily, and sat herself on the booth furthest from the cold and the furthest from anyone's pesky eyes. She could feel the judgment in everyone's eyes as she walked in—apparently it wasn't socially acceptable to go out in public unless you've got a whole face of makeup and some decent clothes—ugh, that really bothered her. Since when was society to decide whether women should conform and look and dress the same way. It was so deep rooted into the minds of naive people—like those who sneered at her in disgust—that they didn't—no, couldn't—see that what they were doing were essentially harming the esteem of adult and in some extreme cases, teenagers. Women didn't have to dress according to how men liked them to; no, they should dress the way they feel and not be open to such derogative and negative phrases. Women didn't live on this planet to be oppressed by men with their choice of looks and clothes—they lived for themselves and them only.

She simply shot back a few nasty glares to those who were bold enough to speak their minds. She didn't respond to their taunts, knowing that it could only fuel that naivety and hate. She nestled herself into the corner of the booth, the warmth from the seat and the smell of food encasing her in a heavenly bubble. She was disturbed when she saw a young man sit himself across from her. Blinking a couple of times, confused, she stared at the strange man who had so calmly sat down and had along the way brought his cup of steaming coffee with him. He was casually sipping at it, staring elsewhere, not acknowledging the fact that he was invading her personal space.

"Hello?" Despite her voice wavering, he had managed to hear her well enough.

"Hi." He answered back simply, shooting her one of his bedazzling smiles. Unfazed by his attempts at charmed her, she kept staring at her; hoping that her attempts at burning through his skull would be clear enough to him that she didn't want his company. He slowly turned back to her, and she raised her eyebrows, urging him to explain himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I heard them calling you nasty names so I thought, it might dampen things a little if I sat with you for a while."

She eyed him skeptically, "And why would you care what they say?" She asked, then added more, a little irritated, "I sure as hell don't care. So I don't think it's none of your business."

His face softened and he gave her a small smile, "I'm only trying to be a gentleman and prevent those nasty old buggers from saying anything more that would disturb your tranquility."

"Ooo, big words from such a small guy." She taunted, "and your actions to stop their catapults of insults were futile." She responded simply, and made herself busy with the menu. Everything looked and sounded so delicious it made her mouth water—to be completely honest, she didn't really want to order, only to make herself look occupied so she didn't have to talk to this guy.

He opened his mouth to say more, but she stopped him by placing a small fingers slightly touching the tip of his lips. Her eyes flicked between his lips, her finger and his eyes. She shook her head, tossing the distraction that was this guy out of her mind. "And your attempts at wooing me have failed. So you can now go hit on someone else. I'd much rather being alone right now."

He chuckled, and she could feel her heart skip, "I'm not trying to hit on you so relax." Her shoulders sagged and they felt good after being tense for so long. "I am here to keep you company if you'd have me?" He asked, and she nodded slowly.

"Great—"

"Only if you'll buy me a coffee." She interrupted and he smiled.

"Of course."

She looked at him curiously, making sure to note every detail of him. His eyes were big and blue—very dreamy, indeed, but sadly not for her—his cheekbones were fucking amazing. Overall, he had the facial structures of a male model. (A very, very hot one to say the least.) But Tris was neither interested in him or anyone else. Guess it was safe to say, she'd be off the dating list for a while.

Turning back to this man with an impeccable taste in clothes, she appreciated his kind gestures, but realised she knew nothing about this man who was going to buy her coffee. "So, what's your name?" She begun, a little bit awkwardly.

The words kind of hung mid-sentence before he answered, "I'm Christian."

She nodded meekly, "Nice to meet you Christian, I'm Tris."

"What are you doing here by yourself? Shouldn't you be at home snuggled next to your boyfriend or sitting next to a fireplace?" He asked.

She laughed, "Funny. One, I like being with myself. There's a sweet joy being by yourself—but on the occasion, you get one or two annoyingly handsome guys trying to hit on you—" He chuckled, "Two, I don't have a boyfriend and three, I don't have a fireplace."

"Fair enough." He remarked, then his eyes sparked and he turned back to her jokingly, "you think I'm handsome?"

"Oh get over yourself." She laughed.

"Your words not mine!" He responded whilst placing his hands in front of him innocently. "It's hard to think that you don't have a boyfriend yet. It's quite sad actually."

She narrowed her eyes, "Where are you going with this buddy." She asked, her voice hinting that he should tread carefully.

"It's just that, a girl as beautiful and remarkable as you? It's almost unbelievable that you don't."

"Well, I guess the world just doesn't turn in my favour." She joked back. "Enough about me though, what about you?"

"Well, I'm single too." She mocked him, slapping her hands on her cheeks while her mouth formed the word 'No'. "Hey! Don't you feel too sorry for me. It was rather by chance than anything else. You like to be alone, so why can't I have that too?"

"Because you basically look like a fucking model! Plus you dress like you earn a million bucks per month!"

He chuckled quietly, "I kind of do, don't I?"

He was interrupted when the waitress brought out her coffee. She was eying that thing like a child with candy. She couldn't wait to dive into the hot cup of yummy.

"Slow down there, you might burn yourself."

"Unlikely." She said eagerly, and brought the mug up to her lips and chugged down the first gulp. It was delicious; there was nothing better than coffee on a cold night.

"So are you currently studying?" He inquired and she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes I am, not that you need to know."

"Forgive me for trying to be nice." He mocked hurt, "What are you studying?"

"Science."

He nodded, "And do you like it?"

"I guess so."

He sighed, "It's comforting to know that you are actually following your passion. Just don't give up on that. Because once you throw it away, you might might not get that chance ever again."

She looked at him sadly, suddenly feeling sorry for him, "I guess you're speaking from experience?"

"Yeah. Not a very pleasant one though." He swallowed, "And not one I'd prefer to talk about, if you don't mind."

"Of course." She gave him a soft smile. She could tell he was biting back those memories—he had put on a good face—but she was an expert at seeing through lies by now. At least, you'd expect her to be.

By now, she had finished her coffee and she could feel it sitting comfortably in her stomach. It eased her mind a little but gave her plenty more to think about. For one, this guy, Christian, who seemed more like a playboy than anything turned out to be a really genuine guy. Maybe I should give him a chance.

She grabbed a napkin from the table and hastily wrote down her number. "If you need anything, just call me." She gave him another smile before she turned on her heels and left.

...

Monday had come, and with it meant it was high time she returned to class. The morning had been rough; waking up and getting her ass out of bed was always the hardest part of the day. Somehow, she had managed to haul herself from her room down to the lecture auditorium on time. She sat down with a puff and folded her arms in front of her.

As usual, David was rambling on about nonsense and more—most of which wasn't actually related to the study design. She closed her eyes and blocked out the sound of his voice, the surrounding scribbling of pen on paper and focused on a more calming environment beyond the lecture hall. She began to picture all the places she would much rather be now. However, she was disturbed when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She could feel the surrounding people turn their heads towards her. She briefly flicked her eyes up and saw that David hadn't caught on yet. She exhaled loudly and answered her phone as softly as she could muster.

"Hello?"

"Tris? It's Christian. Is this a bad time?" He asked through the phone. She could hear loud noises, and possibly even screaming from his side of the connection.

She looked around and saw many people still had their attention solely focused on her. She blushed sheepishly and quickly replied, "I'm in class right now but it's as good time as any. What's up?"

"Are you able to come to the city right now?"

"Possibly. What is it?" She asked.

"It's a secret." There was a pause, "And hurry up!"

He had hung up before she could ask more. Her insides were telling her to stay but her outside was screaming at her to go. She frantically grabbed her things, shoved them in her backpack and shot out of her seat. She could feel Tobias staring at her from the corner of the room—she could recognise the feeling of his eyes on her anyway—they left a sort of tingling sensation down her spine. She shrugged this off and ignored the pleas in his eyes to rethink what she was doing. However, she had no intention of turning back now—and definitely not listen to Tobias of all people. She had one shot so she took it. And as soon as David had his back turned, she bolted the hell out of there.

To say that was a rush was probably the understatement of the year; the thrill was unbelievable and beyond her capabilities to describe. For one, she had never actually had the guts to leave a lecture half through, and two, she never once thought she'd be turning her back on studies. Three, most importantly was that she had shoved Tobias into the furthest corner of her mind. A fit really didn't bother her anymore.

Suffice to say, Christian really did take her mind off things. It was strange... but in the best way possible.

Tris was now far, far away from the campus and the one place, that held her to the ground. She was now standing in the middle of the busiest city square she had ever seen. Sure, she had been here before but never when it was this busy. Perhaps it was because it was lunchtime. Scratch that, it most definitely was.

She reached back into her pocket and grabbed her phone. She punched in the most recent number and waited until he picked up.

"Hey, where are you?"

She heard soft chuckles, "I'm right behind you."

She quickly spun around on her heels and turned to face Christian. He was a full head taller than her and she had to agree wholeheartedly that his style was so on point. "Hey." She breathed, a little breathless form the rush to the head.

"Nice to see you again Tris." He commented as he shot her a smile.

"Nice to see you when I'm dressed a little better too!" She joked.

He threw his head back and ran his fingers through his brown locks. She had to bite down on her lips to stop herself from staring with her mouth agape. Her lips were now plump, red and sore from the heavy pressure from her teeth, but Tris was rather too distracted to notice. When she did finally snap out of the trance, she hastily asked, "What did you want to show me?"

"This." He moved her a step to the right and she could see just beyond the city skyline, the green pastures of the greater beyond. The blue sky was picturesque and it made the scenery even more breathtaking.

"Wow." She moved her mouth to say more, but there were simply not enough words to describe its beauty.

They appreciated the view for a few more moments before Christian clasped his hands together and smiled almost devilishly at her. "Now for the even better part."

"What is it?" She asked eagerly.

"A party."

* * *

**A/N: **Please note that Christian is my own character and in no way resembles any from the Divergent series. Hopefully you'll all love him as much as I do! Hope you enjoy this new exciting Tris! (Had enough of mopey Tris for a while hah). Don't forget to review and leave me your thoughts for this chapter, thought I'd try something different. see you next time :)

PS. Thank you all so much for the constant support and the 10,000+ views!

PPS. Everybody chill out, I said it would be a fourtris story a while ago and it will be. So relax!


	15. Chapter 14

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

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**Chapter 14**

TRIS

"A party?" She repeated, "That was the big secret?"

He nodded excitedly.

"Are you kidding me?" She slapped his arm. "I've been to a billion parties and none of them had much to get excited for. You dragged me all the way out here for a party?" She hit him again, "Are you fucking joking?" She narrowed her eyes, "you're just screwing with me aren't you?"

"No." He answered plainly. "But yes, it is a party. And no, it's not going to be your regular dorky party?"

"And why is that?"

"Because it's going to be our party!"

...

A few hours later, Tris found herself in a skimpy black dress that barely left anything to imagination. In fact, it left little to none. The dress clung onto her like a second skin, hugging all the right places. It was rather uncomfortable; the hem was way too short and the neckline was rather revealing. She found herself constantly tugging the dress down then back up to make sure everything was decent. The little black dress barely covered all her assets. However, she wore it nonetheless. Only because it made her feel empowered. No, it wasn't the jealous stares from the girls or the howls from the boy that made her feel strong. No. It was the feeling she got when she looked in the mirror and actually _liked_ what she saw.

When she stared into her reflection and saw it smiling back upon her as if it approved of this newer and happier version of Tris, nothing could give her greater joy. Tris was no longer weighed down by what others thought of her. She was finally a confident, free-thinking woman who had embraced all the good and the bad, the perfect and the flaws. At last, Tris was able to say, she loved herself and being truthful to herself.

So, she stood, being a hostess of a very disorderly and rather unplanned party, greeting people as they walked in the door. She didn't know any of these people; they were Christian's friends after all. But he had promised her a good night, something to put her sore shoulders at ease and to "let loose" as he had said before. In return, she promised to be a grateful host that smiled kindly upon each attendee, and to have fun. Something she didn't know she could have until just recently.

"Hey." The silky smooth voice found its way to her ear and she could feel each panted breath the voices owner took. Shivers riveted through her body and she would've collapsed onto the floor in a mess if not for the strong hands that held her in place.

Breathlessly, she answered, "hey." It was soft and delicately spoken but Christian smiled at the word.

"Having fun?" He asked curiously, taking the time to examine her in her new found sense of freedom and glory.

"Definitely." She rolled her eyes and remarked sarcastically, "If you call greeting a hundred people at the door fun. Especially when the actual host was probably out the back getting drunk."

He chuckled and raised his hands in defence. She had to concentrate on where her feet stood to prevent herself from tolling over without his steady arms to prop her up. "In my defence, I was getting us a drink." He reached behind him and pulled out two red plastic cups with the liquid sloshing around inside.

She smiled, actually wondering where he had miraculously pulled out two cups of alcohol. "I forgive you."

He sighed in mocked relief.

"Only if you have some fun too." She chirped in.

"What kind of fun?" He answered, raising both eyebrows.

"This kind of fun!" She yelled as she pulled him towards the dance floor. She took a massive swig out of the cup and placed it on top of the bench before heading out into the mosh.

There were sweaty bodies dancing everywhere; and those who weren't drunk enough were holding drinks that spilled from their cups once the swaying started. Tris made her way to the middle, staying far away from those manic bodies that were flopping everywhere rather than dancing.

She turned to Christian, having felt nothing like this weightlessness, "I haven't felt like this before."

"Like what?"

"Feeling like there's nothing on my shoulder. Not having to look back? And wondering what I might've missed and what I could've gotten. For once there's nothing holding me back anymore." She leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "I'm finally free."

She could feel him press his cheeks to her head and murmur, "What are you going to do first?"

"I... I don't know. It's all strange." She spoke softly, "this is all new. But I think I'm going to start by just being me and just see where takes me."

"That sounds like a good plan." He replied quietly.

She laid her head between the crook of his neck and breathed in heavily. The world was spinning around her, yet she felt so grounded—like nothing could ever move her. And as she looked up, and saw the face of a man beaming with the look of a new love, she knew this wasn't what she wanted. (_He wasn't who she wanted_.)

He swallowed, the growing lump in his throat making it impossible to breathe, "Tris..." He began slowly, "I know this is strange and kind of sudden, but I haven't felt this way about anyone in a long time.

"Christian..." She didn't know how to begin. "As much as I would love to return these feelings, and believe me, I would if I could. But I can't. I don't know why but I just can't."

He sighed, "I know why Tris."

She looked at him blankly, "Why?"

"Because deep down in your heart, you still love someone else. And as much as you've tried to convince yourself that he doesn't matter, that you no longer love him, you can't. You can only have one true love at once Tris."

"Christ—"

He shook his head, "It's okay." He replied a little more softly, "I hope that I too will be fortunate enough to find someone that will love me that much."

Not much was said after that, it was quiet but there was much going on inside her head. _Was she really over Tobias? Could she **ever** be?_

The question itself was fairly simple but the answer was beyond comprehension. She could never forget the way he held her in his arms—this, the way Christian held her, felt different, it didn't make her heart race or her breath ragged—the way Tobias embraced her was special, magical. It was as if all her body was set on fire and he was her only escape. It was difficult to describe the feeling that he gave her, when those deep blue eyes looked at her. It was as if he was staring into her soul. There was little she could do now to ease her jittery memories.

And so, she danced away the night; trying to forget how their hands would meet, how he sparked embers that soon turned fires in her heart.

Tris sighed to herself, it seemed that the memories would haunt her forever. She would never fully be able to let go.

(Even her heart knew that she didn't really want to let go. She's just didn't want to live with the pain anymore. And all the wounds turned scars, that would remain as a reminder of the first time she ever let anyone in. It was her own battle scars, and she hid them from the world.)

.

.

.

.

.

She slipped into the cold night, the sounds of a raging party soon fading into silence. She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to keep her body warmth. The night was cool, and the wind was strong. Tris was now regretting leaving the party in nothing but a skimpy dress that probably resembled what a streetwalker wore. Especially at this time of the night.

Tobias had never left her mind since the dance floor and it had obviously shaken her up. She exhaled loudly, letting her shoulders slump sadly. She hated _hating_ him—she didn't want to, but he had hurt her. _How else was she meant to feel? _

She didn't know how long she walked. She ignored the aching in the soles of her feet. She kept walking until her weak knees buckled beneath her weight and she fell to the floor, in a puddle of mess. She was sobbing uncontrollably—at anything and everything. Her ribcage felt like they were about to burst. Every part of her body hurt, but nothing more than how torn her heart felt right now.

_Why did he have to do that to me?... Was I not enough? _

Still a complete and utter wreck, she pulled herself from the ground and turned around the corner. She was hidden well out of sight in a dark alley. She leant on the brick wall, the only stability she had right now. Tris could barely see from the tears that had suddenly sprung to light. Her vision was blurry, and her cries soon turned to hiccups.

Her body hunched over; she felt faint and dehydrated. Her head was pounding and her fragile body could barely keep her upright for much longer. Her hair stuck to her face as sweat beads dotted her forehead. She couldn't see into the street and no one could see into where she was either. Tris was glad; she would not let anyone see her like this.

And in that moment of weakness, with her back turned and her senses dulled, someone grabbed her. She flung back around, whipping her hair and flailing her arms in the direction of the stranger. But when her eyes registered the person, she collapsed into their arms.

"Tobias?" She whispered disbelievingly. She was so sure that her eyes was deceiving her and Tobias really wasn't in front of her, but when she felt his arms embracing her, she knew it was all too real. "You're really here?"

"I am Tris." He answered quietly. When she began to close her eyes, succumbing to her weakened and sleep-deprived state, her muttered his last words.

"I'm sorry Tris... I'm so sorry for everything."

* * *

**A/N: **Just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone for the whopping 12,000 views, like that is just insane! I have recently just finished all my exams and took a few days off as a breather before tuning back into the massive work that is HTS. I've had time to plan, write (and re-write) part of chapters. Since everything had to put on—a somewhat—hiatus, chapters have been slow which I apologise for but hopefully, the last chapter and its lengthy 2,800 words was enough. But things _should _return back to normal now—with updates once/maybe twice every week if you're lucky.

And sorry for not updating in over two weeks! (Whoops!)


	16. Chapter 15

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

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**Chapter 15**

TOBIAS

When he found her there, it was heartbreaking. She didn't look like Tris—heck, he barely even recognized her. Her clothing was more revealing than what she would usually wear, her hair was tangled in clumps, her make-up was running down her face and sweat covered her whole body. She looked deranged; she looked sick and frail. Her knees were grazed and blackened, her elbows were bruised and bloodied. He had found her sobbing quietly at first, then her cries turned louder and louder until her voice became hoarse and inaudible. She looked like she was going insane, and inwardly, he blamed himself for everything she was now going through.

If only he had found her earlier, maybe she wouldn't look so… _broken_. If only he didn't hurt her and push her away, maybe she wouldn't be as miserable as she was now.

_It was all his fault_. And those five words repeated in his mind forever.

He watched her, carefully examining the way she moved, the way she looked. Tobias had always thought of her as strong, unmoving and stubborn but now, he had gotten a look at a different side—she looked as delicate as porcelain. He sighed, perhaps if he hadn't been so weak himself, if he had stood his ground for both him and Tris, she would be happier—maybe not with him, but at least, she would be happy.

It would be hard without her, Tobias couldn't imagine a life without her in it but if he had to sacrifice his happiness for hers, he would do it in a heartbeat. It was true; they say that when you truly love someone, you would do what makes them happy even though it makes you unhappy. It's always them before you. And it would be Tris before himself.

He needed to silently slip away—leaving her in her current maddened state, but he had no doubt someone else could fill the void—but as he turned around, he looked into her eyes and he knew, he would never be able to leave. He froze; his body unmoving. Thankfully, she hadn't yet seen him… he could still leave. But his body wouldn't allow it.

Something was willing him to walk to her, to hold her in his arms and whisper that everything was going to be okay. He was now only a few steps away from her and instinctively, he reached out and placed his hand softly on her shoulders. She turned around quickly, and blue met blue. She reached forth, her hands meeting his own. Her eyes were searching, for forgiveness, apologies, reasons for why he left? He didn't know what she was looking for but it seemed, she found it when she collapsed into his arms.

"Tobias?" He had almost forgotten how lovely her voice sounded. It was as if the angels themselves spoke to him, but he doubted they would sound even half as beautiful. She felt like a feather in his arms, she was skinnier and paler. Her complexion lost its normal pink hue and a dull grey colour now painted her cheeks. He closed his eyes; he couldn't bare to look at her like this. _He couldn't look at what he had done to her._

When he opened his eyes again, tears had formed and were now threatening to fall. She was still looking up at him, in disbelief and awe. Her blue orbs were moving from his eyes to his lips, to his chest then back to his eyes. "You're really here?" She whispered and he could only nod frantically.

"I am Tris." He muttered back, holding her closer to his body. She was now limp in his arms; he could feel the faint beating of her heart and the shallow breaths she took. He was beyond worried but he was more grateful that he had finally got to hold her once more. Of all those times he had dreamed about holding her once more since that fateful night, they were nothing but that, dreams. However now, she was actually in his arms. And the love she once held in her voice when she spoke his name… it never left. He could still hear it—he could still _see_ in her eyes that she still loved him.

And all he could do was apologize a thousand times over.

...

He had carried her all the way from the dead street to his apartment. It was a long walk, but she felt close to nothing in his arms and that terrified him greatly. She did not wake once but had stirred countless times during the walk. Her eyes fluttered open and closed and she muttered inaudible words. When she began to cry softly in her sleep, he would draw her closer to which she nuzzled into his chest—the way she had used to. It was comforting to have her so close once again and he never wanted to let her go again.

A little while later, they were back in the apartment and he placed her softly on the bed, covering her with a blanket when he saw she was shivering from the cold. He sat teetering on the edge watching her carefully, once she had settled down, her breathing returned to normal and her heartbeat was strong once more. Despite, all his best efforts to make her comfortable, she was still tossing and turning, screaming out desperate words as she clung onto the sheets with an iron grip. He attempted to soothe her but he found the only way she relaxed was with his body close to hers. He quickly took off her shoes, his own and discarded some of his clothes onto the floor. Quietly, he slipped beneath the sheets and pulled her nearer. Still deep in slumber, she wrapped her tiny frame between his side and his arm. It was only then that she began to calm and her sleep was no longer disturbed by horrid cries and terrible nightmares. Tobias didn't fall asleep. He could barely sleep. He didn't dare think of the repercussions of his actions, all he could think of was Tris and her wellbeing. But did he put her in danger once again by what he had just done?

He turned to Tris; her face was so serene. She looked too peaceful, and too beautiful to ever be put in harms way. He couldn't even grasp why someone would want to hurt her—or to make him hurt her. She was now sleeping soundly in his arms and he could not have been happier. But it seemed all too easy. And when he thought of those words*, he was reminded once again, that this, what he had dreamed of, could not be. _They could not be_.

_*("By the end of tonight, she will be broken and you will be the one to have done it. Because we both know, I'm willing to kill to get what I want. So the question isn't are you going to do it—it is **how** you are going to do it.")_

With those last words ringing in his ear, he soon let his eyes close.

…

Tobias was awoken by the bright sun seeping through his blinds. He tried to stretch but found a heavy object restricting the movement of one of his hands. He opened his eyes and the memories of last night flooded back to light. Tris was still asleep, undisturbed.

He sighed and flopped back onto the pillow. He was tired, but his mind could no longer sleep. A billion thoughts raced through his head but he could only focus on one thing and that was the girl in his arms. He couldn't even begin to fathom what _they_ would do to her once _they_ found out—no, he couldn't concentrate on that now—not when Tris needed him most. He would NOT abandon her.

(Not again.)

He slipped his arm from beneath her small frame, freeing his unmoving limb. It was numb but it was nothing compared to the aching tug he got in his heart every time he looked at her. She was so beautiful, so angelic, and he couldn't even think of why people would want to harm such a peaceful and loving person. She was probably the only good thing in his life and he would NOT throw it away.

(Not again anyway…)

Once reassured that she was still sleeping, he swiftly kicked his legs over the edge of the bed and pushed himself upright. His breaths turned into long exhales. He smoothly pushed himself off the bed, careful not to wake the woman next to him. She stirred once, but did not wake. He treaded carefully to the flimsy sliding door, opening and closing it softly behind him, leaving it slightly ajar in case of emergencies—or rather, if he missed the company of her sweet face. He proceeded to the kitchen and began to make breakfast—but really, the only thing he could make was French toast—surely, that would be good enough. He had heard many times before that his French toast was '_to die for'_ and '_as yummy as **it** can be' _but then again, it was always the morning after.

He shoved this nasty thought from his mind and began preparing breakfast for the two of them.

Not long after, he heard Tris wake. It wasn't very elegant; the only alert being the large gush of swear words that came from the room. Even with the door mostly closed, it did nothing to yield him from the onslaught of cuss words. She emerged a little while later, covering herself in the bed sheet. Her cheeks were bright red—probably from embarrassment—but he noted her face was gravely pale. She needed to eat something or else she would fade out of existence—well, not literally—but he still needed to pump some energy into her body.

He stared at her while she looked around. Tobias knew his apartment wasn't that grand, heck, it was just a place to sleep and eat. He tilted his head and looked at her curiously, she was examining the place as if it held a lot of interest. Truth was, it was like a blank piece of paper, one glance and that was all it took to take everything in. Still, she looked around, as if it was the greatest place on Earth. He found himself staring fondly at her, perhaps a little too attached.

When her eyes settled back onto him, he snapped from his trance and cleared his throat, "Hey." He greeted casually. "Do you want some breakfast?" He motioned to the steaming hot food on the bland wooden table.

She cast her eyes over and then nodded quickly, but she did not say anything. He feet padded across the wooden floor and he winced at every creaky board. She was soon seated adjacent to him, and he gave her a warm smile while pushing the hot food towards her plate.

"How are you feeling?" He asked slowly.

Her head slanted marginally and she studied him. He could feel himself shrink beneath her gaze. He suddenly felt self-conscious and tried to redirect her gaze by coughing at the uncomfortable silence. Realizing this, she moved her gaze to the window and spoke with a small voice, "I'm feeling okay, I guess… I've been better…"

His eyebrows furrowed and he swore at himself, _obviously she was referring to a time before him_. "Tris… I'm really sorry. I don't even know how to begin to apologize for what I said, what I did… how I hurt you."

Her eyes met his and she gave him a slight smile, but he could see the sadness behind it. "It's okay. I understand… it's not like I haven't been in this situation before. It's hard, and in a way, you were just doing what you thought was right and I get that." He gave her a puzzled expression, "All I'm saying is I understand why you did it. It probably saved a whole lot of trouble…" She laughed but there was only grief and heartache in her voice, "What I mean is, I hope you'll be happy with her… and I hope that she will make you happy for the rest of your life."

"Tris—" He stopped himself. What was he going to tell her? That a mad man was threatening her life and that he wasn't strong enough, _man enough_, to defend her? No, of course he couldn't say that… and all he could do was let her tears fall. Her words stung harder than anything in his life. They cut wounds into his skin and they _burned_. Hell, the pain was indescribable and unimaginable. It was as if he was getting setting alight but all while someone was cutting his heart into little pieces.

Her first tear landed with a splash on the table and he could feel his heart crunch. He didn't dare meet her eyes now, he closed them and shook his head.

"You don't understand… I can't—" he whispered, "Tris, I can't tell you."

"What cant you tell me!" She cried aloud, "I'm in this as much as you are, and if you're holding back—for god knows whatever reason—you have no _right_ to. If you have something to tell me, then tell me **now**."

"You have to trust me. I didn't mean to hurt you… you have to believe me that what I'm doing is for a good reason. Please… Tris. Please just _trust _me." He pleaded, he begged, he was desperate.

"You have given me no reason to trust you. How can I trust someone who has betrayed me so many times over? How can I trust someone who has broken my heart a million times over and over?" He winced at her harsh words. "Tell me, Tobias. TELL ME WHY I SHOULD TRUST YOU… And I will."

"I can't Tris. I just can't."

"You can't or you **won't**?"

"Please—"

"No Tobias, you either tell me what you're hiding now or you let me walk out of here again. And this time, I will **never **come back."

* * *

**A/N: **So many exciting things happening soon in HTS! Since I'm all done with school, I've had the time to actually write chapters for this story so updates should be quicker from now on. I have to say though, I was a little disheartened at the lack of responses for my last chapter. I know it wasn't my best work but to only receive one review? It makes me a little sad I guess. But thank you to the only person who reviewed, I thank you profusely. I don't want to be one of those writers who ask for reviews in return for chapters (I really don't like authors who ask this of readers) but a little support for all the effort I put in would be nice. Just a few words stating whether you liked/disliked this chapter would be awesome. So I hope you keep that in mind and if you appreciate my work, please, pretty please leave a little review below.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter though (I did spend 4 hours on this!). See you next time xx


	17. Chapter 16

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

TOBIAS

"No Tobias, you either tell me what you're hiding now or you let me walk out of here again. And this time, I will **never **come back."

.

.

.

.

.

He was lost, not just for words but in general. He was being torn into so many directions—if he was to tell her the truth, he would be risking her life, and that would kill him. If he didn't tell her the truth, then he would probably—no, definitely—never see her again. Either way, he would lose her.

In was in this split moment, where he had to choose that he knew that he didn't tell her the truth, he would spend the rest of eternity in regret and she would go on living a lie. Thinking that the person she loved, didn't actually love her. And he couldn't bear to have her know that he never loved her. He couldn't even remember a time he spent _not _loving her.

"Tris... I have so much to tell you. I don't know where to begin... There's just so much to say, yet so little words." He began; his words with truthful so to speak, but they had hidden much behind its meaning. There really was so much he had to explain, so much to apologize for but he simple had neither the time nor the guts to do so. "I want to tell you everything—"

"—what"

"…And maybe in time I will." He swallowed the growing lump in her throat, though it was more of an inability to speak than a physical blockage lodged in her throat.

"Then just start by telling me one simple truth." She spoke clearly, but her eyes were still searching. Her soft lips turned upwards uneasily as she tried to muster up her best smile. He could sense the sorrow behind her words, her eyes, her every movement.

He puffed out a gust of air, "What do you want to know?"

"Was it all a lie?" She paused, thinking, observing, _waiting_, "...did you ever really love me?" Her voice came out softer than a whisper. Her voice trembled and it left his stomach queasy. When he looked down at his food, he didn't feel so hungry anymore. He pushed his plate beyond his reach and stared at it uncomfortably, desperately trying not to answer her question.

Seconds ticked by, and the silence was deafening.

_Say yes_, his mind screamed but his lips remained unmoving. _Say yes_. It was clumsier—he was on his last straw. His insides were boiling and he was about to burst. _To say yes or no? _That would bethe question that would define the rest of his life—the question that would make or break him.

"Yes." He finally answered. But he still couldn't meet her eyes.

He felt her freeze, her eyes staring blankly at him. "What?" She spoke uncertainly.

"I said yes. Yes I really did love you Tris... And I still do." He spoke; it wasn't as loud and outspoken as his other words had been. These were honest, truthful and came from deep within him—they were from his heart, his soul. "But..." Despite that, there was hesitation.

"But…" She prompted.

"There's too many complications in my life right now. I can't drag you back in them. I made a choice back then, to let you go so you wouldn't be dragged in my mess... So you wouldn't get hurt." He whispered the last part. "I know I hurt you... And I would never have done so without good reason. There are people out there, terrifying people—"

"What people Tobias?" She interrupted.

"People who are willing to kill to get what they want, Tris... People that feel no emotion like you and me; no regret; no guilt… People you don't want to be involved with—people you don't want to cross. And if me not being with you, means that you won't get hurt, then that is what I must do. I will _not _let_ them _hurt you."

"But I did get hurt Tobias, and they weren't the ones that hurt me Tobias. **You** were."

He felt like he couldn't breathe; like he was suffocating but not entirely. It was as if all the air had been sucked right out of his lungs, but simultaneously, there was a nauseating, head-pounding pressure around him that made his brain want to implode. His mind was still trying to comprehend her words. He couldn't—no, he wouldn't believe it. _But it had been true_. All of it.

"I guess you're right." He sounded defeated, "I did hurt you. And I give you absolutely no reason to stay. In fact, I gave you more than enough to _leave_. Why you're still here... Well, I don't know why you are. Honestly, I would've left if I were you." He conceded, but she interjected.

"But you're _not_ me. And I'm not just about to leave because you're too scared to tell me what's happening. I'm _not_ about to let myself be the victim again. I'm _not_ going to be abandoned again—not until I'm giving a truthful and valid explanation."

He couldn't take it any longer, he needed to do it but she wasn't making it easy. He needed to break it off for good—so why was it so hard? His brain had already made the decision, so why was the rest of his body resisting? He was about to do it. He was about to end it all—his life, his happiness, his very soul. His own tragic demise.

"What is there to explain?" He was basically shouting—it needed to sound convincing, "Don't you understand? I don't want you here anymore. I don't want to be with you. I don't want **_you_**."

In that moment, he realized he had shattered whatever was holding her together. He had taken what was left, and had broken it. He had broken _her_.

"No." She denied, "No, no! You're lying. I know you're lying. You just told me you love me!" She was screaming, sobbing, thrashing. It didn't matter what she did, because all the while, Tobias had maintained a straight face. He couldn't give out anything now. He was so close—_so very close_.

"I _loved_ you Tris. It was all in the past." She still shook her head furiously, refusing to believe his words, "Then I'll look you in the eye and tell you that I won't miss you when you're gone, that I don't love you anymore. That you no longer matter to me."

"I don't believe you. I can't." She was pleading now, pleading to whatever humanity was left within, "I don't _want _to believe you."

"I no longer care what _you _want. I just want you out." He yelled. His voice was loud and unmoving, but his insides were cracking, leaking. _It had to end soon._

You're a twisted, heartless, manipulative bastard!" Good. She was hating him—it would be easier for both of them if she just hated him. Tris's wouldn't have to mourn him, cry over him. She could just despise his very being—at least that would be easier than trying to mend her heart.

"That's good," he commented, "Turn those unwanted feelings of love into hate and spite. _Hate me_." He spat.

There was a fleeting moment of silence.

She placed her palms on either side of her temples and squeezed inward. She shook her head, her eyes closed, and beads forming on her forehead. "No." It was soft, but it grew gradually louder, "No... I can never hate you." She declared.

"But you do." He goaded, "All those times I've broken your heart; turned those feelings of loneliness into warmth and love then squashed them like a bug. You do hate me Tris. You just don't know it yet."

"What are you doing?" She whispered but it was hopeless, "You're trying to get me to hate you? I'm telling you now Tobias. It won't work." She pronounced each word carefully, making sure to enunciate each letter, "After all those times, I still _love_ for you. And no matter what you say now, that won't ever change."

Silence yet again. It was then that he noticed that his chest hurt—his heart squeezing.

"Tobias... Don't do this to me. Don't you dare shut me out now. After all you've done to me. _You owe me this_."

"_I owe you **nothing**."_

He could feel his heart wrenching, when he pulled his fingers from hers. He untangled his hand from hers and left them there, wanting, reaching for him. And as he found himself crossing through door—the point of no return—he felt his arm snag on something—rather, someone. She had grabbed him.

"No." Her voice was fierce and unyielding; raw emotion and passion was evident in her voice. His shoulders sagged and he felt his heart race once more. "You owe me _everything._" She stated flatly, "After all those times you've pushed me away, and god knows why I let you because today, I won't let you do it again. I won't let you walk out on me again." She stopped, thinking, reiterating her words, "I now know why this time is going to hurt more than all those combined… I've realized it's because I love you Tobias." She gulped, "_And I can't live without you—not anymore_."

He pressed his eyes shut and tried to think. He tried to move, but her grip remained on his arm, holding him down. Holding him to her. And in that moment of weakness, he collapsed. She had broken down his walls, and he had snapped.

He turned around and in a heated flash of passion he captured her lips. The kiss was rough, tense and practically sloppy. They were both trying not to lose themselves. It wasn't like what he envisioned their first kiss to be—in a way, it was better. The kiss was needy, desperate as they tried to cling onto each other anyway they could.

When they finally broke apart, he could see tears in her eyes and he wiped them away with the pad of her thumbs. "I love you Tobias." She whispered, "And I know you love me too or else you wouldn't have done what you just did."

He gave her a warm smile, "I do love you Tris. I love you so much Tris, more than you would understand." He murmured and for once, he let himself love.

...

They were both in bed now; their positions similar to how they were the previous night. She was tucked between his side and his arm—she had told him, she felt untouchable there. She felt safe there. Although she was sleeping soundly in his arms, he had been unable to get a wink of sleep. He laid there, thinking of all the ways that conversation could've ended and yet, it ended in the most impossible way. He had gotten the girl… but at what cost to her?

His phone and he almost forgot about the phone in his short pocket. He had forgotten to take it out and place it on the bedside table before he climbed in bed. He exhaled loudly and reached down to grab the electronic. Without looking at the caller ID—a grave mistake he soon realized—he pressed answer.

"Hello?" He spoke normally. At first, he had heard nothing from the other line but he body froze when the other person spoke. His breathing hitched and he panicked.

"Tobias! So nice to finally hear your voice again." The voice teased, "Glad to see you came through with your end. Most surprising… honestly, thought you would've given it a better fight."

"You fucking son of a bitch. I will kill you. If I ever find you, I will kill you using my bare hands." Tobias was furious; he was practically screaming but in a hushed voice. Tris tossed at the sudden raise in his voice. He looked over, planted a small kiss on her forehead and slipped out of bed. He walked out of the bedroom, closing the door lightly on his way out.

The voice only laughed, it was evil, full of spite and darkness. "Now, now Tobias. You better watch your tongue. Bad things might come back to bite you if you're not careful."

He was now pacing back and forth restlessly in the lounge area, "You're a coward. You know that?" Tobias provoked, "You hide behind blindfolds, masks and now a phone call. Why don't you come out here and show me who you really are?"

"But why would I do that? When I'm having so much fun." There was a brief pause, "However, I do think you are as excited as I am. Tell me Tobias, how is my dear Tris?"

Tobias whipped his head around and scanned over the area frantically. He saw nothing. "Who are you?!" He screamed, "Where are you?" He seethed into the phone. He tightened his grip on the electronic device trying desperately not to overreact.

The person chuckled, "That's beside the point." The person replied, "I know you've been very naughty lately Tobias. You think you could hide this from me? You think you can hide your life from me?" A manic cackle erupted from the phone, "There's no way you can get rid of me. I'll always be there to ruin your life. I will always be there watching. Waiting, until you find some sort of happiness, then ripping it from you."

"Why are you doing this!" Tobias cried. When there was no answer, Tobias screamed into the phone, "Who are you? Tell me who you are, you bastard!"

"Because you took away the only person that ever meant anything to me. You took her away from me and I will take Tris away from you." The voice was emotionless, there was no sarcastic comments, no sadistic laughter. There was only anger, hatred, and it was directed at Tobias.

"I don't even know you!" Tobias was desperate. After all, who wouldn't be?

"But you do Tobias." The voice modulator disappeared, and his eyes widened at the new voice, "Don't you recognize your own father Tobias?"

His feet stopped moving, they ground themselves into the wooden floorboards until they creaked beneath his weight. _No, it wasn't possible… He was dead… _"What…" It was a whisper of disbelief.

"I hope you enjoy this night with Tris Tobias, because it will be your **_last_**. I will make sure of that." And the line went dead.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow was that a hard chapter to get out! Nonetheless, it is done and I can't wait to write the next few. Apart from writing HTS, I've been reading more and more fanfics recently, as well as more novels to push my inspiration. Kind of been in a rut—lacking encouragement, will to write. And I guess, I was hoping that I'd pick some of that whilst reading other peoples work.

During that time, I've particularly been enjoying the Vampire Academy series again (I mean, who doesn't?) and am thinking of starting a fanfiction on that so let me know if you're interested in reading it. (Yes, I am fully aware I'm asking Divergent fans but you never know, some or you may be like me.) I don't know when it will be out, or whether I will actually write one but I am hoping I would use that as a way to get back into writing. Most likely, if I do write it, it might be a similar story to this so don't hope for happy, fluffy stuff. (I really can't do those…) But in terms of this story, I will _try_ to make the ending to this as happy as can be but knowing me, I make no such promises.

See you next time!

PS. Big shout out to bankhead56 for reviewing almost every single chapter and giving me motivation to keep on going! You rock!


	18. Chapter 17

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

TOBIAS

The events of last night left Tobias unhinged and completely disarrayed. His mind was pounding from the memories of last night—both evenly distributed between his no longer conflicted feelings towards Tris and the hefty threats he had received not long after. His emotions were an utter mess and his appearance was no better. He had hastily thrown on some clothes when he woke and did not even bother to tame his disheveled hair before he left the apartment. It was barely 6 in the morning, yet he felt like the world had already begun. There were sounds of people hurriedly walking to the train station; construction workers about to begin their daily routine; and then there were people like him—in a way, lost. Wandering, somewhere, with no end destination in mind. It was simplicity at its best.

He had no intention to speaking to anyone at this moment in time, and he was beginning to feel like he would never really be able to for the rest of the day. He was so heavily bogged down by the realization that his father really wasn't dead. Tobias had never thought about it before, he just assumed that what he read in the papers were true—that his father had been murdered during an illegal trade. Tobias scoffed at this; _he had deserved it. He had deserved to die_. Marcus had been dealing with unethical stuff, things that got people killed. Such people that had nothing to fear, not even the law could restrain them. It was as if they were untouchable—obviously not, when he had first heard about his father's murder. But now, rethinking this whole situation, he was pretty sure that it was all true. Marcus really was untouchable; invincible; immortal. He had defied death, time and laws itself.

These criminal minds were teetering on the edge of insanity—they were essentially psychopaths, hell-bent on getting whatever they wanted. (And they always got what they wanted…) They were beyond immortality—they could _buy_ time, people, lives. The whole illegitimate business was corrupt from the lowest of the bottom to the very top. No one was safe anymore…

And now, he had indirectly placed Tris in the middle of the gunfire. She wasn't safe anymore, his father had said that much. Even though his father was a dishonest, lying son-of-a-bitch, he would always keep to his promise. And when he said he would take Tris away from him, Tobias was damn sure he would.

However he didn't understand one tiny little sentence that had escaped Marcus' lips. Though Tobias was sure that his whole revenge scheme had revolved around that one little accusation. His lips twisted in confusion as he tried to grasp the meaning behind those words. What had Marcus been talking about?

_You took away the only person that ever meant anything to me. You took her away from _me_ and I will take Tris away from you._

The only person who they had ever loved was Tobias' mum, but she had died in a freak car accident. So Marcus' couldn't possibly be blaming him for that right? It was strange and no one fully comprehended how the accident had occurred and all facts pointed to the report that stated that it was indeed just that—an accident. However, Tobias no longer seemed so sure… Had he been involved in that accident somehow? No he hadn't… Had he?

The peculiar thing was Tobias had no memory of the day he died. No, left behind were gaping holes and small flashes of what he thought were just nightmares. They had slowly been slotting together, like some sort of puzzle… and it had begun to make sense. If he truly was to blame behind his mother's death, why did his father wait until now? Why wait 15 years to get your revenge?

What he couldn't understand more than anything was why Marcus—Tobias would never call him his father—thought that Tobias had no care in the world for his mother. Tobias had loved her just as much as he did. And when she died, she had left behind a void that he could not fill either. _He had loved her too. He had loved her so very much… And he still did._

He slowly made his way back to the apartment, where he hoped he would find some answers. Tobias couldn't grasp why he had no memories, whatsoever, about that day. Had it really been so traumatic that he had pushed it from his mind? So he didn't have to remember? So he didn't have to relive that day every single night? So many questions burned into his mind and he soon came to realize he wouldn't get any answers… Not unless he asked the very heart of the source… _his father_…

...

Tobias had reached his apartment in no time. He had walked a full circle around the massive block to cleanse his mind of all negative thoughts before he returned to Tris. She either had like a sixth sense or she knew him too well, but she would always know when something had been troubling him. It was comforting most of the times but in situations like this, he would rather her not know anything. She would be safe as long as she knew nothing. Right…?

He entered the apartment, kicking off his shoes in one swift movement. He exhaled loudly, feeling the stress lifting off his shoulders. Tobias had so much to think about, so much to process but there was really only one agenda on his mind—to protect Tris. She was all that really mattered at this point in time and he'd be damned if he let her slip through his fingers again. He was so close to letting her go last night and it was a stroke of luck—or stubbornness on her behalf—that she stayed. Nonetheless, Tobias was eternally grateful and he knew; he'd protect her to the very end.

He slipped into the bedroom, and finding her still sleeping soundly on the queen-sized bed was a huge relief. He shrugged off his big overcoat and placed it on the chair next to the door. Then, as quietly as he could, he tiptoed over to the bed and settled himself beside her. He tried to calm himself, using long, deep breaths and snuggled right next to her. She was so beautiful in her sleep and it was hard to picture anyone hurting such a lovely face. A small smile tugged on his lips as he imagined the mornings he could spend with her, waking up to this. It would've been a dream come true, but he snapped back to reality when he noted that every day, every morning, he spent with her pushed her further and further into the crossfire.

She woke not long after, and he tried to muster up his most dazzling smile despite his mind being elsewhere, "Good morning." He murmured into her ear.

He could feel her smile against his cheek, "Hi." She whispered.

"Did you sleep well?" He inquired softly and she gave him a small nod in appreciation.

"Very well." She spoke, then her eyes squinted as she observed him carefully, "It seems better than you did." She shuffled slightly, propping herself up on her right elbow as she angled her body towards him. "What's wrong?" She asked, genuine concern flashing across her face.

"Nothing's wrong." He managed a small smile. When he saw she didn't believe him, he gave her hand a small squeeze, reassuring her, "Just couldn't sleep is all." Although he did his best to hide his anguish, his tensed muscles left everything out in the open.

Her eyes gave her away—he knew she still wasn't convinced, but she did not press the matter any further, to his relief. Instead, she changed the topic, "What should we do today?" She inquired, playfulness hinting at her words, "I thought, since we both have the day off, we might as well make the most of it."

"Sounds good." He tried to make his voice sound calm—somewhat normal.

She looked into his eyes again, and Tobias felt his breathing hitch. It felt like she was seeing through his eyes and into his soul, where his deepest, darkest secrets were put on display. He coughed awkwardly, trying to look away. He twisted his head slightly so that he was not directly facing her, and at that precise moment, her elbow slipped from beneath her and she collapsed onto him. Her hands were firmly planted onto his chest and her face was inches from his—her lips millimeters from his. In that moment, he tried not to think of how close she was, so easy it was for him to take her in his arms and kiss her into eternity. It was easy, so easy for him to forget the world and find a new one in her arms.

Her hair fell around her face, perfectly framing her figure. He noticed her eyes glancing down from where her hands now lay, to his lips then back up to his eyes. She was hard to resist already, but with the added touch of her bare hands to his chest, he really—no, desperately—craved her touch.

And with one swift movement, his lips came crashing onto hers. It had caught her by surprise, despite their close proximity, but soon enough, she melted into the touch. The feeling was beyond describable—it was blissful, happiness, the sensation of being loved. It was incredible and truthfully, Tobias was shocked he had given in to his urges two days in a row. He had spent his entire life devoted to being in control, to not be so easily won over, and majority of the time, he was just that. But with Tris, he often found himself feeling helpless to the emotions she brought on. She was a mystery—both enticing and tempting.

This kiss wasn't as needy as the first; it was gentle, soft, slow, but the same passion never faded. His body responded accordingly; he didn't want to rip her clothes off like he had wanted to for their first kiss but the urge to have her close to him was still there. He pressed closer to her as the kiss drew deeper. He could feel her smile against his lips; he didn't need to open his eyes to tell she was enjoying this as much as he was.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless and gulping for air, feeling a little short-winded. She placed her forehead firmly on his and whispered, "What was that for?" The same goofy smile still plastered on her lips.

"Just felt like it." He smirked and then gave her the biggest, toothy smile. She punched his shoulder lightly, sticking her tongue out in protest.

In her lapse of judgment, he swiftly swung over, pushing her to the bed as he hovered over the top. "Oh yeah?" She challenged, but the smile never moved.

He raised an eyebrow up at her, "Yeah, so what?" He teased, "I like kissing you." his husky voice sending tingling sensations down her spine. He leant down and placed a small kiss on her forehead, "Yes." He agreed, placing another on the tip of her nose, "Definitely yes." He then moved his lips over to her cheek, and then back down to her lips, leaving a trail of soft, basically non-existent kisses. Goosebumps rose on her skin where his lips left her yearning. She arched her back up so she could close the gap left between their bodies when he moved. Smirking against her tender skin, he brought his lips down to her neck. She was now squirming underneath him, her nerves fluttering with anticipation.

He glanced back up at her, "A bit impatient aren't we?" He teased, bringing his hands up to brush the side of her cheek. She looked up at him, soft eyes glowing with content and love.

"With what you're doing right now, of course." She gasped between breaths. She had tried to speak as sternly as she could but it could not mask the pleasure and excitement flourishing behind her words.

He knew she wanted him as much as he did, her eyes told him all he wanted to know. However, this was neither the time nor—well, actually… it would be the perfect place. He didn't deny the spark in him that wanted her, that desired her. Therefore pulling away from her was possibly, the second hardest thing he had to do in his life—the first was pretty clear. He could sense the disappointment in her eyes but he was sure that what he planned would be double the fun.

She frowned, when he moved away from her, "What are you doing?" She asked curiously, now noticing that he was climbing out of bed.

"Getting ready." He answered simply, chucking on the shirt he had worn earlier this morning.

She shot him her biggest puppy face, "But we were having so much fun." She complained, "Why do we have to get ready _now_?"

"Because I've got a fun day planned!"

"What we were doing before was fun. A lot of fun actually." She replied, naughty intentions glimmering behind her eyes.

"Oh, I know." He returned her playful nature, "But trust me. This is going to be better."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, that was not part of the plan and sort of found its own way into the story line and truthfully, I don't know what's going to happen next. So it's as much of a mystery to you as it is to me. But we shall see in the next chapter won't we? But I think I will let you guys have your little Tobias/Tris moment before everything gets shot to hell…again. Again, let me know what you think about this chapter. Would love to hear your thoughts in a review below! :)

Also, for those who like Vampire Academy I've written a oneshot called _Afterlife_... And of course, it's a little bit darker. So if you're just as crazy about VA as I am, give it a read (only if you want to)!

(Oh, and three long chapters in one and a half weeks—I bet you love me now don't you ;) )


	19. Chapter 18

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

TOBIAS

It was a spur of the moment thing really—it just sort of happened. Only in the heated moment of passion did Tobias realize that he needed to get out of her. They weren't safe in his apartment—they weren't safe there because _he_ could find them. The thought came when he was most vulnerable—when he was lost in love. "_Love is a weakness Tobias._" That was the only thing Marcus had taught him throughout the years.

He'd been lost in the playfulness that had come alive when Tris was there, but only now, did he realize the full seriousness in Marcus' words. He hadn't been messing around when he had issued that threat and Tobias was sure, he would come to fulfill this promise soon—very soon. Tonight was the night, he had been warned and he wasn't going to let himself being a sitting duck, waiting to be targeted. It was real, and it was Tris that he could lose. Not his possessions, not his home, not even his own life, but Tris, the very person that made life worth living.

"Tobias?" It was Tris' voice that broke him from his thoughts, "You still haven't told me where we're going?" It was gentle, but there was a little bit of unease fluttering in her words. He had forgotten that she was in the car beside him, all his concentration had gone to where they were going, what he was going to do about Marcus, with only a small proportion of his brain focusing on making sure that the car did not crash. There was no point in fussing over something, if the car was wrapped a pole.

He tried to soften his eyes. It was actually harder than it looked—no pun intended. But it was hard to think casually when a maniac was hunting like you were some sort of murderer. "Just going down to the coast for a bit." He answered simply, saying no more.

She nodded unsurely and when he glanced over at her, he could tell she was anxious. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes flickering from the road to his knuckles, which had turned white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly. He could sense that she was worried, despite her best attempts at hiding it.

He eased up his stiff posture, "It's alright Tris. There's nothing to worry about." But Tobias knew full well that his words were contradicting everything.

She gave a slight nod; she wasn't convinced.

Tobias slid his hand from the wheel to where hers lay shaking. He hovered his palm over hers, rubbing small circles in the attempt to make her feel a little bit better about the not-so-great situation. Tris looked like she was about to be sick and he did too, but he had to keep a hold on things. He had to be strong, for the both of them. If he cracked now, everything would surely go wrong.

They continued to drive in silence. The road was empty, despite being noon; the usual time people would be driving down to visit relatives. The freeway was bare and occasionally, they would see a passing vehicle. Other than that, there was no commotion, no traffic jam, nothing but smooth sailing. It gave the two less to talk about but Tobias had a feeling that talking wouldn't make the dire situation any better.

They had been driving for quite a while now. He hadn't exactly been keeping track of time. In fact, everything was a blur from the moment he hastily jumped out of bed and decided that they were going away for the weekend. He had instructed her to only take the bare essentials, clothes and money. Food and other necessities could be bought on the road. In the beginning, Tris had wanted details to where they were going, what they were going to do, but soon enough, she had learnt to just close her mouth and trust her guts—to trust him. They hadn't had time to make any preparations and truthfully, Tobias preferred that. No one would know where they were going; no one knew their plans. The less people who knew the safer it was for everyone. Besides, this way, every one could go about his or her daily activities without anyone being suspicious. For all Marcus knew, they were still tucked sleepily in his apartment. Boy, was he going to get a surprise when he realized they left. It wouldn't take him long to figure out where, after all, he had always prided himself on having eyes everywhere. But hopefully, by then, they would be long gone.

The radio crackled once in a while, the signal dropping in and out frequently. Besides that, it was the hum of the engine that broke the uncomfortable silence. It wasn't so much uncomfortable and awkward as it was just quiet. It had more to do with the fact that she knew he was hiding something, and hadn't bothered to tell her.

"Tobias?" Her voice sung out, "Can I ask you something?" There was curiosity behind her innocent words.

He gulped, _oh no_. He tried to keep a calm and casual facial expression as he cleared his voice. "Sure."

"I heard you muttering to yourself this morning." _Here it goes_. "You were saying something about your mother's death." She paused, tilting her head to get a good look at his face. "And it occurred to me that you've never told me anything about your mother."

_Well, at least he hadn't been talking about Marcus in his sleep_. Nonetheless, he had winced at bitter memories of his mother's death. She hadn't meant for her words to be insulting or triggering, but regardless, it had obviously stirred up feelings that he would rather have left buried.

Sensing his distress, she quickly took back her words, "I'm sorry." She blurted. "I didn't… I didn't mean to make you upset."

He gave her a sincere smile, "It's okay." Then he looked over at her and admired the raw passion in her eyes, the genuine look of concern on her face—she cared for him. And in her own way, she was looking out for him. That gave another little tug at the smile on his lips, "It's just a surprise… I didn't think anyone would ask about her."

"You don't have to talk about her if you don't want to." She added rashly.

"It's quite alright." He reassured, giving her small hand a little squeeze, "It's only natural that you'd ask. I was actually expecting you to, just not so soon…" He hesitated, "I just haven't spoken about her in a while."

"Tob—"

It's fine." He gave her a nod, "Really." Another squeeze. "What do you want to know?"

She didn't answer straight away but rather stopped to think about what she actually wanted to know. It was clear, there was so much she wanted to know about him. When she finally spoke, her voice was clear but traces of worry still lined her tone. "I'm not too sure… I… I just wanted to ask why you've never spoken about her. Or your father"—he tried not to grimace at that—"I don't know what I'm asking and I'm sorry if I'm prying too much into your life—I guess, I just want to get to know you better."

He could feel the warmth radiating from her words, and he was touched that she cared about him and his family—even if they were either dead or cut off from his life.

Deciding it was better to lay off the Marcus talk for a while, Tobias spoke of his mother instead. "Well, my mum died when I was young and I never really knew her. As for my father, let's just say after that, he wasn't the same… and soon enough, life caught up with him." He sighed, "I was never really close to my father but I was with my mother. We did everything together, with me being an only child, and it was really hard to lose her at such a young age."

Tris nodded. Despite his best attempts at swaying the conversation far from Marcus, he knew she had picked up on it. Rather than pressing him on the matter, she simply acknowledged his words and held his hand tighter.

"There's not much to say about her death actually, it was a freak accident. There wasn't much which could've been done, to save her I mean." He cleared his throat, biting back the tears, "And in a way, I've always blamed myself for not being stronger."

Her eyes saddened at his words and she too, felt the weight on his shoulders. The burden he had been carrying since he was young. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he must've gone through—that traumatic childhood experience. Growing up without a mother. She gripped onto his hand tighter, pressing her cheek into his arm. "It's not your fault Tobias. There wasn't anything you could've done you said it yourself. So you can stop blaming yourself now."

"I know… I know I couldn't have done anything but I wish I could've. I wish I could've saved her."

"She would've wanted you to be happy and not burdened by her death." Her face showed nothing but sadness, "I know she loved you very much Tobias. Don't forget that." It wasn't much, but for Tobias it was all he needed. "

Their eyes locked and everything stopped, the world beneath them paused and in that moment they felt unstoppable, untouchable. A tear slipped and to his surprise, Tris reached out tentatively and swiped the tear away. She held her hand there; he felt the strength of her palm on his cheek. He swallowed and closed his eyes again, leaning into her touch. When he opened his eyes again, her eyes were still there, holding the gaze.

It was then that Tobias realized love wasn't a weakness. His father had always told him that love was a weakness, something that should be feared, but only now did he realize that it was love that made him strong. It was the love from Tris that made him powerful—more powerful that Marcus could ever hope to be.

...

"Tobias?" Her voice was a harmony to his ears.

"Hmm?" He hummed, following with her cheerful mood.

The drive had soon lightened up after the miserable conversation. Idle chitchat was made, and it wasn't as uncomfortable as he had predicted. Instead, the rest of the trip was rather entertaining; Tris spoke of the funny year she had had and all the mishaps she'd encountered. She was embarrassed at first but soon eased up after Tobias told her his own stories. Time passed quickly this way and they had soon arrived at their destination. They were in a relatively secluded town—one Tris hadn't heard of before. Despite being so close to the coast, they rarely had visitors, the lady at the gas station had told him.

It was music to his ears—the less people who knew… the better.

They were now sitting on the couch, with Tris snuggled up close. Her hair, the hair he loved so very much, was sprawled across his chest as he stroked her cheeks. Some mind-numbingly tedious, generic TV show was playing on the screen but neither played much attention to what was actually happening. They were far too content in each other's arms to have focused on anything other than _that_.

Oh, how Tobias loved these little moments. Oh, how long he had dreamed of this and it was happening. She was here—in the real world—with him. Him of all people.

"What are we going to do tonight?" She asked, curious. "I mean I don't mind staying here all night—I don't care where I am if you're with me—although in saying that, we've been here since early this morning and we've basically run out of things to watch."

"What if we just snuggle?" He wiggled his eyebrows at the word 'S' word.

She punched his arm lightly and threw her head back as giggles came out. Once her fit of laughter had died down, she climbed over him, kissing him softly on the cheek. "I think that's a great idea…" she started, "But I know of something that would be way more fun than _snuggling_." She said, double meanings hidden in her words. A small smile touched her lips and he couldn't help but smile also.

"Oh and what would that be?" He smirked at her.

She playfully tapped her chin, as if she was thinking. "Hmm… I'm not too sure, maybe you'll have to tell me again—or better, maybe you could _show me_." Her eyes were now glimmering with lust. She had been straddling but he hadn't realized their very compromising position until now. Her legs were swung either side his own, her hips sitting firmly on his. He didn't dare think of what she was doing to him, _how_ she was affecting him. He swallowed back a groan as she shifted her position slightly, allowing her to lean down and kiss him on the lips.

"We have plenty of time for _this _later." He mumbled between kisses, "You said so yourself, you'd much rather be out there having _fun._" He reminded her, "So that's what we're going to tonight." He pulled away, stopping the kiss before it got any heavier.

"But Tobias!" She whined, but it was playful.

He only laughed as she pouted at him, jutting her bottom lip out. It was adorable and subconsciously he reached over and poked her nose. "We can get to the good stuff later." She groaned when he slid her off and began putting on his coat that had been so hastily thrown aside. "Hey! Don't blame me. You were the one complaining that you wanted to get out more."

"I know and I take it all back!"

He shot her the goofiest grin he could muster, "There's no take backs." He smirked at her, watching her prance around the room, trying to find her jacket and scarf. He laughed when he saw she was having trouble with the sleeve. Walking over calmly, he took the jacket from her and draped it over her shoulders, guiding her arms through.

"I don't like you very much right now." Even her angriest face couldn't faze him—perhaps, it was because he knew she was joking.

He led her to the front door, giving her a small playful shove as he locked the door behind them. "We can have all the fun you want once we come back." He smirked, and her cheeks flushed pink despite the cold chapping at her skin.

"I'll keep you to your word, _Mr Professor_." He could only smile and wonder what kinds of fun they'd get up to later.

* * *

**A/N: **How was that? There's a tiny touch on Tobias' background but probably nothing too exciting—after all, he's not just going to spill all his secrets in one day. I hope you enjoyed the Tobias/Tris moment. The next chapter will probably be similar to this but with a little bit more fluff (if I can manage to write it…). I don't want to rush them, but I think they've earned their little 'alone' time.

Now that I'm back from my little detour from the plot line, it's safe to say that well, there's not going to be many happy (fluffy) chapters like this and the next. So make the most of it while you can? I intended this to have drama, yes, but also with a little bit of angst and a shit load of feels. So prepare yourself, because after the next chapter you might have to grab a tissue box—but who really knows? Maybe I'll throw in another plot twist… You've just got to keep reading to find out!

(I'm not going to give any hints away freely, but I am going to say almost every character has their importance to the story so don't overlook even the smallest of things…)


	20. Chapter 19

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 19**

TRIS

"Come on Tobias!" She whined, "Is this blindfold really necessary?" She sent a pout to the general direction of where she last heard Tobias given that she wasn't able to see. She heard him chuckle and she desperately wanted to the cloth off. It wasn't itchy but it was irritating her the core—it was Egyptian cotton, the best of its kind. Regardless of whether the fabric was silky smooth or rough as concrete, she really didn't like stumbling around blind. Moreover, she just wanted to see him and where he was leading her.

"Just a little while longer." He tried to comfort her. It really didn't work.

She brought her fingers up to the fabric and began tugging at its ends. Her heart jumped when she felt warmth radiating from her hands. It was Tobias. Tris could finally feel her fingers again; the constant wind and the cold were wearing down her skin and chapping away at her palms. His fingers entwined with hers and she dropped her hands, letting him guide her. For that moment, she forgot how annoyingly infuriating the blindfold was, and the need to rip them off.

The fuzzy feeling inside shifted from her hands to her core, then up to her cheeks. She could feel his hot exhales breathing down her neck, and it sent shivers riveting through her body. Her own breaths grew uneven; she felt she had forgotten how to breathe. His hands were still firmly pressed into hers and she grateful for this, as it was the only thing holding her up. They had stopped walking a few minutes ago but that hadn't crossed her mind—it was too busy thinking about the morning they had shared only moments earlier. Everything else that had happened since had been pushed far from thought; the only thing spurring the evening to come faster was Tobias' promise—the promise that tonight would be special and very highly anticipated.

"When you said fun, this was definitely not what I expected!"

Laughter, "Well, it was either this or stay moped up at home."

"I said I wouldn't of minded that!" She replied, "In fact, I'm pretty sure that I said I didn't mind snuggling."

"No, I suggested snuggling, you wanted to have fun! So that's what we're going to do. Have fun."

"But we were going to have heaps of fun at home too!" She whined.

The only response was a chuckle and she puffed out a hefty sigh. He wasn't giving her much rope to go on; in fact, she was pretty sure his and her definitions of _fun_ were very different—if not, entirely different.

She could feel her feet come to a halt, "Tobias?" His name now coming out in shaky mutters, "Why have we stopped walking? Are we there yet?" She couldn't decide whether it was the cold weather or the silence that came from Tobias' half that didn't sit well.

She was getting too fidgety, they had been at a standstill for quite some time, and everyone knew, she wasn't known for her patience. She opened her mouth to begin her protest but stopped herself when she felt the binds falling away from her face. It took a moment to adjust to the sudden change in brightness but it wasn't long before she got to appreciate the view—and no, she wasn't talking about Tobias—but they were both gorgeous anyway. They were standing on top of a small hill overlooking a huge pond of ice that had transformed into a mini ice-rink. There were people of all types and ages; adults, teenagers, families and people much like themselves.

She suddenly felt the urge to join the happiness that erupted from below. They were all clearly enjoying themselves but a second thought pulled her back. She had neither the proper gear nor the knowledge to skate. She would be a sitting duck out there—or possible, a falling duck. Either way, the outcome would be most unpleasant… Not to mention the constant teasing that would ensue.

Nonetheless, her inability to deny him anything allowed him to lead her to the edge of the rink. She followed, stumbling every second step but he was there to hold her, his fingers digging eagerly into her hips.

She was nervous, _what if I made a fool of myself? _The look in his eyes confirmed that either way, he would be there to help her up. The smile smile she received said it all; he was thinking the same thing; he probably knew her better than she did. It was strange but oddly comforting. She shot him the most dazzling smile she could muster and let the same feeling of excitement overwhelm her.

Of course, being the most vigilant and careful man he was, Tobias had already planned and hired out skates that fit perfectly. There was a speck inside her that wondered if he had measured her feet to the precise millimeter. This left a goofy smile on her face.

"What's so funny?" He asked, snapping her out from her weird but wonderful thoughts.

"Nothing." She answered quickly, the same grin on her face.

He narrowed her eyes at this but didn't say anymore.

Once they had laced up their skates, she let him guide her to the edge of the ice. With shaky steps, she let her first foot glide onto the smooth surface. Her stomach felt uneasy as the second foot joined the first. Balancing herself was probably the trickiest thing she had had to do in her entire life and to ask her to skate was ludicrous. While she had the toughest of times trying to steady herself—even with the use of the barriers—she couldn't manage to stand properly. Her knees jutted out at awkward angles as she clung onto the rails desperately. She soon found herself panting; tiny sweat beads dotted her forehead.

She heard Tobias chuckle, most likely having the best time of his life. She flung her head around and shot him the angriest face she could muster—which was definitely not effective, judging by the response she received. She couldn't manage to utter out a word, all of her concentration firmly pressed into staying on her feet. It would be a disaster if she let herself fall now. She had gotten this far, she would not let some five year old best her at skating. She would never be able to live that one down.

"Having trouble?" She could basically hear the smirk in his words.

"No." She squeaked, and her foot trembled beneath her weight. She dug her fingernails into the wooden barrier and shut her eyes in terror.

He chuckled. "Are you sure?" He coaxed, but did so rather smugly. And right then and there, all she really wanted to do was wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. Instead, she settled for surprising him in the only way she knew—which really shouldn't have shocked him so much by now—a kiss shouldn't have left him in such awe. He really should've known full well that when she couldn't find a verbal comeback, she would always get the last word (well, not literally).

At least the kiss did what she intended. It was only a small peck on the lips but Tobias stood there, possibly in some trance of happiness with a goofy grin plastered on his face. Despite all his attempts to be manly, he was a boy when it came to kissing.

He rubbed the base of his neck sheepishly, a blush sweeping across his cheeks. "What was that for?"

Tris rolled her eyes, "To shut you up of course."

He followed suit and rolled his eyes too. Tris watched as he opened his mouth but no words came out. She was about to make a snarky comment but when she saw his eyes widen, her stomach began to feel jittery. He was staring at something in the distance, and she swung herself around and scanned her eyes over the ice. Expecting to meet some sort of hostility, instead, she saw friendly faces.

"Christina?" To say she was surprised would be an understatement. "What are you doing here?" But regardless, she pulled her old roommate into a massive hug.

Christina laughed and returned the hug, "Well, we were actually out of town for the weekend too and well, when Tobias called, we couldn't resist coming to say hi."

"You didn't have to drive all the way out here just for me." Tris felt slightly guilty, but Christina words lingered in her mind, _when did Tobias call Christina? _Moreover, _how does Tobias know Christina?_

"It wasn't just for you, it was for me too!" She laughed, "And it wasn't that long, like an hour tops."

Tris nodded, the sudden resurface of old friends made her feel nostalgic. She was sullen when she found that Tris wasn't actually staying on campus but rather with her family. _Family_. Tris huffed. The word 'family' made her core feel queasy.

Just as she thought she couldn't get any more surprises, there he was. "Will?" She exclaimed, not as happily as she had to Christina but nonetheless, glad to see him.

"It's good to see you too Tris." He laughed, throwing his arms around her, embracing her in an affectionate hug.

She felt Tobias stiffen but she placed a hand on his, squeezing it tightly, as if to say, _we're just friends_. His tense posture eased up a little and there didn't seem like there were any traces of red in his eyes. His movements were still jerky and sometimes, Tris would catch him flinching when Will made any sudden movements around her. The overprotective side shone out, now brighter than ever, and all the while, she held his hand as the three of them chatted.

They caught up the lost month with playful banter and giggles. Tris had forgotten how much she missed this—missed her friends. Despite knowing Christina briefly and Will for even less, she felt like they were long-time friends. Their conversation was easy; everything flowed naturally and it pleased Tris to see Tobias chirping in occasionally.

After the trip, Tris had abandoned all her old friends, claiming she didn't need anyone but her studies. How untrue that was... If only she realized this earlier, it would've saved her the heartache of losing friends—friends she couldn't afford to lose. Nonetheless, they chatted away like there was nothing wrong, and she felt happy. Content with the man whose arms were wrapped around her securely and glad that she had gotten her old friends back.

"Are we here to skate or what?" It was Christina.

"No, we're here to eat dinner." Will remarked back playfully, which earned him a light punch in the arm from his girlfriend. He shot her his best puppy dog eyes and she placed a soft kiss on his nose.

"Sorry." She whispered and his eyes shot up in triumph.

If it weren't for Tobias' cough, their little moment together would've ended soon. They turned around slowly, cheeks a beetroot colour, "Sorry you had to see that." She muttered, "Shall we go?" That was directed at her boyfriend. Grinning, he led her to the centre of the rink, leaving Tobias and Tris to themselves.

"I thought they'd never leave." Tobias spoke.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, "That's not very nice." She chastised.

"You're right, sorry." He apologized, "I guess I should be thankful to them, after all, they did manage to put a smile on your face."

"They're good people Tobi—" She didn't even manage to finish her sentence before she was lost in his lips. He pressed his body closer to hers as he backed her into the rails once more.

When their lips parted, he placed his head on her forehead, "I know. I just couldn't wait until they left so I could do that."

"Do what?" Tris smirked. Despite her best attempts at keeping a cool exterior, her insides felt like they were burning: her breath hitched and suddenly she felt aware of every part of her body—the patch of skin where his hands now laid to the miniscule sweat beads on her forehead. The kiss left her chest heaving, craving oxygen. Their eyes never left and it sparked with desire once more.

"This." His lips came crashing down on hers once more, which she couldn't help but smile into. The ice was cold beneath her feet, despite the shoes blocking out most of the chill, but the heat arising from the attraction between them overpowered all her senses. Nothing could distract her from this—him.

The hands on her hips brought her back to reality. He was hovering over him, eyes bearing into each other like there was no tomorrow. The pull, the lust, the desire between them was all that held her in place. The other skaters and the cold weather was lost in her thoughts, the only matter on her mind was the man inches from her face, his lips barely grazing hers. The urge to lean up and kiss him was so strong; it took only milliseconds for them to touch.

This kiss was nothing like they've experienced. It was short but it was amazing. It was surely the beginning to a _very magical night_.

Sighing in content, she leant into Tobias' chest. Everything was falling into place—her life, her first love. Everything was perfect.

"Tris?" Their eyes locked in an infinite gaze, "There's no doubt in the world that you're the one I want to be with, to hell with the consequences! I don't care if _this_, what we have, lasts another day or the rest of our lives. I just want to spend the rest of our time together… I don't know how long that will be. All I know is, I want—I _need_ you in my life." A small smile spread across his face but it wasn't happy, there was a hidden sadness behind it. "I don't guarantee your safety and I definitely can't protect you from all my secrets no matter how much I would like to…." He sighed, "But regardless of the way we end, I would like to leave knowing that you knew everything about me."

Their eyes locked and the world stopped spinning, "Nothing will happen to us Tobias. I know our past hasn't been a golden road, but there's nothing in this world that would stop me from being with you." Everything that she said was true.

Despite her attempts at moving on, there was no denying that nothing had been as amazing as this had been. In their short and brief history, there were mistakes, lies, and secrets. All, that when thrown together, caused chaos and broken hearts. However, no matter how much she had tried to claw herself from what they had, the attraction was still there—he still wanted her… And she still wanted him.

"I love you Tris." There was nothing better in this world than hearing him say those three words.

"And I love you Tobias."

They were a match so imperfect—it was _perfect_.

It was Tobias who broke the moment, "We should probably join them on the ice."

"I think they can manage without us for a few more minutes." Tris whispered into his ear, and the moment that was just disrupted turned hot once more. Their legs were tangled and the only thing propping them both on their feet was the stable rail digging into her back.

"Later." Tobias reminded, his husky voice teasing her. She began to whine but he placed a finger on her plump lips. "We can finish this later but right now, we're supposed to be having fun. Remember?"

"Yes." She pouted, "But just saying… I'm going to make you wish that later is right now." She purposely let her lips brush his ear, sending butterflies throughout his body. His breathing got caught in his throat and she smirked in victory, "Yes, I think I will have heaps of fun." She concluded; her voice laced with lust and hunger.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I tried with the fluff... It was such a rush job! Let me know down below if you would like this story to contain heaps of smut? Like it will, but would you rather detail or just skim over it? And for those who have asked, a new chapter will come out every 3/4 days usually, regardless of how many reviews.

Thanks for your support so far!

**REMINDER: This story is solely written by myself (with the exclusion the actual Divergent series who belong to Veronica Roth—this is just my adaption of the books) and is unbeta-ed, meaning there isn't a second author who goes over my work. So you will have to excuse me if you find mistakes as this story is only a one-man team. **


	21. Chapter 20

**WARNING: Contains M-rated scenes. Read at your own caution. **

* * *

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

TOBIAS

The day had gone and past, with majority of it being well spent down at the ice rink. Tobias couldn't remember a time where he had had that much fun. Tris, being skeptical at first, was reluctant to go on the ice, stating that it would probably collapse from everyone's combined weight. But slowly, he began to change her mind and soon enough, she was skating away on her own. She pranced around and his eyes never glowed with so much pride. He could finally say she was his—he didn't want to own her per se, they were equals, but she was his to touch, and no one else's.

After the sun began to set, everyone began to part ways. Christina and Will had returned back to their weekend vacation, leaving the two of them to themselves. They had gone the whole day without eating but neither of them minded. It, the company they shared together, was enough.

It was cold outside now but neither Tobias nor Tris seemed to care as they strolled through the street. He had his arm draped lazily around her shoulders as she nuzzled her head into the safety of his chest. He could feel everything; the water seeping through her already damp shoes, the hand placed lovingly on her shoulder, and the way his chest heaved up and down in shallow breaths. Tobias could hear his heart beat, _thump, thump, thump, _slowly at first, then faster the tighter she clung to him. The constant exhales warmed his cheeks and he had to fight the urge to grab her and kiss her into eternity. It was comforting, her being in his arms—it felt so right.

He spared a glance up at her and at the same time, she looked up; blue met blue. The world stopped spinning, but his head felt like it was travelling a thousand miles per hour. No one dared to look away, the electricity buzzing loudly in their ears, the desire embracing them. It was the unspoken silence that screamed the loudest. Tobias sent her a lustful glance and she shivered, nodding slowly. They both knew what they wanted, and neither dared to deny the other—or themselves—the attraction that had grown stronger throughout the day.

They scurried along, like a pair of lovers in desperate need of relief. Their feet padded along the road softly, then harder as they began to sprint down the street to their home for the next few days. It didn't take them long to arrive but the few minutes lost were not forgotten. They had made up for that time through the hastiness of their actions. Their clothes came off—sometimes, more than a few garments at a time—before they had even reached the vicinity of the house. Coats were chucked furiously across the room, their need to be intimately close together overpowering all their senses. Tobias wanted to feel her pressed against him, the image of her squirming beneath him made him hot all over.

Next to come off were the layers of jumpers, that were once useful against the cold, now another obstacle in their path. His hands roamed around the hem of her grey sweater, fingers lightly digging into her hips. The sudden forceful movement made Tris gasp and Tobias shoved his lips onto hers, seizing the opportune moment. The kiss was sloppy, the urge to be physically close now pounding in his mind.

He began to lift her jumper over her head, letting the tips of his nails skim past her skin purposely. She was standing in front of him in a pair of low-rise jeans and singlet that looked magnificent on, but he was more concerned about what was _underneath_. Time slowed as he took in the sight. She was breathtaking, and she was all his. She shivered beneath his stare and he smirked triumphantly.

"Oh shut up and kiss me." It was fierce, but it wasn't an order. Nonetheless, he obeyed as he tossed her jumper amongst the other discarded clothing and pulled her closer. Their lips reconnected once again, the same desire returning. It felt like hours before their lips parted for air, his lungs felt like they were going to burst from the lack of oxygen, but he didn't give it another thought.

He slipped to the side, pushing her back against the wooden door they had just entered moments ago, pinning her arms above her head. She was staring at him intensely, eyes fueling with fire and he couldn't help but take a mental snapshot of her. It was definitely one hell of a sight—he really didn't want to forget this moment. His lips parted from hers, and he gave her a quick peck, before leaving a trail of small kisses from her lips, to her left cheek then to her neck. He could feel her writhing beneath him and it only made him hotter.

Her breaths came out in jagged pants and the moans that escaped her lips pushed him further to the edge. He placed tiny butterfly kisses along the collarbone, which only spurred her to be more vocal. His hands toyed with the bottom of her top, raising them slightly as he felt hot flesh beneath his fingers. Not wanting to wait any longer, he practically tore the top off and once the other garment was chucked somewhere in the room, his lips once again latched onto her skin. Her moans grew louder and louder, as he moved his mouth to the tops of her breasts. He gave each a small kiss before reaching around the back and unclasping her bra. Her mounds plopped out of the piece of clothing and he began kissing his way to her little peaks. He could feel his pants tightening uncomfortably and he flinched at how aroused he was. He hadn't known she would be affecting him but he hadn't expected such a huge reaction.

"Wait." Her voice came out in a small whisper but he heard her regardless. He pulled away quickly and looked her in the eye.

"Did I hurt you?" His voice was gentle and laced with concern and worry.

"No." She was still catching her breath. "You just have too much clothing on."

The anxious expression slipped and he smirked when he caught on. She was pointing at his jumper and jeans. As quickly as she had surprised him, she slipped from his grasp and began tugging at his jumper. It came off with no resistance. Her hands trailed down to his jeans, her fingers pausing briefly to unbuckle his pants. The pants fell to the floor and pooled at his feet. In a swift moment, the pants were kicked away and the attention returned to her once more. He tried to kiss her once more but she pushed him backwards. He stumbled, a confused expression crossing his face but when he noticed the sly smile on her face, he grinned. _It was all a game of power_.

She pulled roughly at his white T-shirt, which clung onto his chest and arms. She loved it when he wore it. When that too came off, she noticed that the muscles she knew he was hiding beneath all those layers of clothing. They were even more impressive shirtless.

Her cheeks flushed red and she suddenly grew self-conscious under his gaze. It was at that moment that she remembered, no body had ever seen her naked before. She looked down and the realization that she was topless also unnerved her a little. She flung her arms over her chest, trying to cover what she could.

What he did next surprised her. He grabbed her and pulled her close, giving her loving kisses on her forehead. "You don't have to hide yourself from me, Tris." He mumbled, "You're beautiful."

She nodded slowly and began to relax into his arms. He held her, rocking her as she fought back the tears. "Tobias?" She didn't want to tell him that she was a virgin, he wouldn't have taken her otherwise. That knowledge would be for her and her only. It didn't sound like her, it sounded like a terrified five year old, "I'm scared."

He pulled her even tighter and stroked her hair, "I won't hurt you." And she believed him.

A few moments later, they found themselves in the bedroom. The conversation was not forgotten, but the longing to be together was all they could think of. She had let him place her gently on the bed as he climbed on top of her. He left a small kiss on her lips, and then dragged them down her body, stopping when he reached the band on her jeans. He sent a quick glance up at her, and she nodded, allowing him to pull the pants down her legs. Once off, he devoted his time into admiring and touching every part of her body. His hands roamed from her breasts to her toned stomach down to her heated core. He slid himself off the bed and pulled her body closer to the edge. He placed his head beneath her legs and they quivered anxiously. He placed his hands on either side of her legs, rubbing small soothing circles as he took her in. Her scent was enough to drive him crazy. Releasing his grip on her legs, he let his finger wander around her thighs before crawling back up to her core. Using one hand, he pushed her lacey underwear aside as the other touched her sensitive bed. Her back arched off the bed as the first moan came out. He brought his lips to kiss her there, delicately at first then rougher, as she grew more impatient.

"Fuck! Tobias!" She screamed and it only prompted him to go faster.

He replaced his tongue with a finger, driving her body mad. Her body was jerking in response to every thrust he made and he could feel himself harden at the sight of her bucking into his fingers. He withdrew them, before taking the time to pull her underwear completely off. She puffed at the sudden yearning; she wanted to feel him, wanted him to touch her.

Just as quickly as he stopped pumping his fingers in and out, he climbed on top of her, hovering his hard member above her wet entrance. One look was all he needed before he promptly entered her. He only managed to fit his tip in before he felt the barrier; the barrier that once crossed could never take back.

He looked her in the eye, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Her voice was strong, determined. Looking at her now, he knew, it wasn't just him who wanted her. She wanted him as badly as he did.

Not needing to be told twice, he pushed further. He heard her gasp and dig her fingers into his back, clinging onto him. He stopped, waiting patiently for her to adjust to his new size—he usually wasn't one for patience but for her, anything was possible. When he felt her moving, he began to push and pull.

Soon, they were both humming in ecstasy, their bodies entangled in a ball of mess. Sweat covered both their naked bodies, but it only made each them love the other more. He looked down at her and saw her bright blue eyes staring dreamily at him. He captured her lips once more as he continued to thrust. She threw her head back joyfully when he rammed her sensitive spot.

"Fuck!" She screamed and it only drove him wilder. "Faster." It was an order this time, and he obeyed obediently.

Their fingers were entwined, hands clasped together as they approached their climax. Her hands balled up into fists, clutching the sheets tightly as he pushed into her. Neither fought the desire to be closer; lips reattaching once more, legs tangled amongst the silk bed sheets and their bodies moving back and forth in a unified rhythm.

Her name came out in rasped syllables, and she screamed his name over and over, as he tried to bring them both closer to the edge. Groans soon turned into cries, and those only grew louder and louder till they were practically shouting. Despite their initial worries about their neighbours, they figured, it was worth waking up to angry knocks.

Tobias felt so close, his member was throbbing and he could begin to see stars. Hungrily, he kissed her once more. Their kiss turned into a fire than couldn't be stopped, what once were embers sparked into much more. He opened his eyes to see that she too was nearing her own climax. He untangled his fingers from hers and reached down to touch her sensitive bud. He rubbed it softly as he thrusted, once, twice, and on the third time, they both saw stars. His body sagged and he fell limp onto hers.

Both were breathless, and it took all his energy to open his eyes. But when he did, he didn't see just another girl, he saw an angel—_his angel_. Their eyes met once more and the lust that had been so adamant before came to a duller thought. The desire and love for one another was still there, and it was strikingly obvious.

He reached down to stroke her hair, her cheeks perfectly rosy and her face carved so beautifully. He placed a small kiss on her nose. "I love you so much Tris."

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: **There you go… the much anticipated smut scene. And a whole chapter of it (approx 2000 words)! Let me know what you think (I'm still new to writing these sort of stuff) so please be kind, constructive criticism would be good also. Thanks!

P.S. I will be on vacation soon, with it being holidays and all, so I probably won't update after another week (we leave right before christmas) and I will return mid-Janurary. I am trying to write most of the chapters before I leave so I can still post whilst on holiday. I also don't know whether I will have internet overseas, but if I do, I will try my best to put up a new chapter.


	22. Chapter 21

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

TOBIAS

The harsh light seeping through the curtains woke him from his slumber. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes. The bright sunlight made it hard for him to see, and he had to squint at the clock beside him to tell the time. _10:32am_. He threw his head back down on his pillow and puffed a sigh. Glancing down, he saw Tris. Her hair was sprawled across his chest as she slept with her face tucked into his side. He slowly reached down, removing the stray strand that was hanging in front of her face. His fingers twirled around the lock before he tucked it behind her ear.

The memories of last night came flooding back to him, the way their bodies entwined, the moans that escaped both of their lips, and how at the end of the night they said they loved each other. Thinking of how close they had been intimately made his spine shiver, it had left imprints on his mind so he would never forget those special moments. He ran a finger down her back and then traced his step back again. Her skin was soft beneath his rough fingers, and he could see the bruises that had begun to form at the nape of her neck. They had definitely not taken it easy last night—however, thinking of it now, he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

His thought came to a stop when he felt Tris moving. He spared a fleeting look and saw her staring up at him, eyes shining brighter than ever. They showed everything; love, lust, want, everything including the moments of last night. The passion he could see was raw, untamed, like how they had been last night. She was the type of person, who when she wanted, would lay everything out as an open book, and that's how it was last night. She didn't have her walls up; everything she shared with him was pure, genuine, unguarded.

"Morning." Her voice was as sweet as he had remembered. He hummed in response, a silly smile crossing his face.

"Good morning." He whispered back, still letting his hand stroke her back. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, allowing his movements to make her squirm and tremble. "Did you sleep well?" He inquired, eyes still trained on her.

"Yes." Her voice was gentle, her head turning to look him in the eye, "I had a magical time last night."

He smiled at her words, "I did too." Then he paused, remembering, "Um Tris? I… Uh… I forgot to put on a condom last night. It was just a spur of the moment thing and we got a little carried away and I completely—" He spoke quickly, avoiding her eyes.

She placed her small hand on his cheek and looked him straight in the eye, "Don't worry Tobias." She smiled, "I've—uh… Kind of been expecting this and well… I've been on birth control for the past few weeks now. I didn't want to tell you just in case we didn't go there, but I guess this is as good time as any."

He let out a massive sigh of relief, "I almost had a heart attack." He planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Don't get me wrong, a child would be wonderful with you—if I'm not going too far in saying so—but I think it would be way too soon… If I'm not wrong."

"No, you're completely right." She hummed in agreement.

"I can't even begin to describe how amazing you are Tris Prior." He kissed he forehead this time.

"Well… You could try." He laughed and pulled her close to him.

He held her tight; no other words would be able to describe what he was feeling. His heart was being squeezed but it was being filled with so many emotions. It was incredible, the feeling she gave him. He let his fingers move from her back to lightly touch the purple circles forming on her neck. With every stroke, he could see goosebumps forming on the bare skin. Continuing with his path, he brought his fingers to her cheeks and placed them there. His insides fluttered when he felt her lean into his palms.

Suddenly, her whole body jerked upwards as she surveyed her surroundings. Her eyes settled on the clock and she let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was not noon yet. Still, she climbed over his legs and got out of bed, leaving the comfort of his arms. He whimpered at the lack of her touch but never took his eyes off her as she walked around his room. He watched her as she walked over to the big mirror, fully naked. From this angle, he could see her eyes running over her bare form; taking in everything from the bruises to the red marks on her neck.

"Um, Tobias?" Her voice shook, "I think we might've gone a little too rough last night." She pointed to her neck and back. She was standing in front of the mirror examining the marks he had given her the previous night. Purplish bruises dotted her skin and red crescents marked her hips where he had dug his nails. He continued to watch her, eyes brimming with lust as she touched the bruises on her neck.

He could only give her a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. "My bad?"

She only laughed and trotted over to where he was sitting upright on the bed. She sat on his legs, still fully naked, and captured his lips. It was short and not as long or desperate as the ones last night had been, but it was loving nonetheless. "I don't mind." She said simply as she shrugged her shoulders, "I left my own marks on you too." She was now looking at the red marks on his back and when she pulled back, she sent him a huge grin.

He returned the smile and spoke, "I think it looks sexy on you."

"Yeah but now I have to go through the trouble of finding a top that covers all of this." She gestured to her whole body, tossing her hair over her shoulders to give him a better view at the massive bruise between her neck and her collarbone.

He planted a small kiss on the bruise, letting his lips linger for a moment. "Well, we don't have to go out." He suggested playfully, "We can spend the rest of the day in here."

"So you can make more marks? Yeah right!" She snorted, "And besides, we promised Will and Christina that we would meet them for lunch."

"That's an hour and a half away." He whined, "We could do _so much_ in that time." His signature smirk replaced his grin and she could only smack his arm and fake gasp.

"No." She shook her head, teasing, "If I can wait till later, then you can too!" She exclaimed, throwing her head back laughing.

He reached out to her, pulling her in a kiss once more. "What happens if I can change your mind right now?" He challenged, his brows rising.

"I accept your challenge but it'll be very hard to persuade me."

"Oh, don't worry. _I will_._" _

…

A while later, Tobias and Tris were standing outside a café, on the corner of the main road. Christina and Will were of course, fashionably late. She was standing with her head leaning on his chest as he wrapped a firm arm around her.

"Is this alright?" She asked unsure. She was fiddling with the collar of her top, tugging it up, down, then both left and right.

He placed a small hand over hers and brought them back down, "It looks fine." He stated.

"Are you sure?" She asked, still uncertain. "You can't see _any?_" Her eyes widened, and he laughed. She couldn't even bring herself to say the word 'hickey'. To her, it was some sort of dirty word. In fact, it was just that, they _had done the dirty_. As he liked to remind her.

"Yes." He gave her a soft smile before pulling her back close to him. She gave a throaty chuckle; he knew what to say every single time—and he would always do so perfectly.

Christina and Will arrive only a few minutes later, both were obviously short of breath. Their hair was wind-blown and they looked like they had just gotten out of bed. Tris greeted her old roommate with a small hug and a snarky comment about her tangled brown hair. Whilst the two joked around about the morning they had, he gave Will a quick nod, the tension from the previous day fading into non-existence. Tobias was no longer jealous—not that he would ever admit to that in the first place—of the friendship he shared with Tris. He was now one hundred percent sure it was completely platonic, not to mention that Christina and Will were already dating, and have been for the past year. When this came to surface, all the resentment towards Will turned into ash and Tobias soon warmed to Will. The two got on famously, and they seemed like long-time buddies.

"Should we go in?" Tobias gestured towards the door and all four of them piled into the small café. It was warm inside, and definitely a relief from the cold weather outside. The waiter lead them to a small table of four tucked away at the back of the room, and left them to discuss the menu.

Christina was sitting across Tris and Will beside her. The two of them were in a deep conversation and they pretended as though they were sharing the ultimate secret. Their eyes deceived them and so did their inability to whisper. They definitely weren't being subtle with their conversation but neither seemed to mind, as they giggled away.

Will was going on about his work; how his boss was so terrible and how much he desperately wanted to quit his part-time job. That wasn't a bad idea, considering how much smack he was saying about his so-called boss. He seemed miserable, and once in a while Tobias would nod and say a few encouraging words. In the end, he didn't think Will had taken what he had said to heart. It didn't bother Tobias though; he knew that Will was only putting up with his manager's shit for the sake of the good income—the money that paid for college.

Tuning out of Will's own muttering—he was talking to himself more than he was to Tobias—he began to listen on Tris and Christina's conversation, deeming it to be far more interesting.

"What!" He heard Tris shriek as her friend slapped her on the arm.

"Is that a hickey?" Her friend demanded and her hands flew to her neck instinctively trying to cover it. Out of the corner of his eye, he did see the very top of the purple bruise, clearly more visible from where Christina was sitting. This actually made him smile.

"No…" Even Tobias wasn't convinced _at all_. He watched her, but still pretended to be talking to Will. She flung both her hands upwards and parted her hair so it covered the mark. Tobias was a little saddened by this, the thought of other men seeing it and knowing that Tris was _his_ was very tempting.

The same smile never left his lips as he kept eavesdropping. "You did it didn't you!" He tried not to flinch at how high-pitched her voice went. Tris flinched and her cheeks flushed bright pink with embarrassment.

"Maybe…"

"Cut the lies!" Christina was practically screaming now, "Was it good?"

Tobias could feel his own cheeks turning red. He snapped his head back the other way when he saw that Christina was squinting at him, almost wondering if he was listening. He pretended to be interested in his phone, while they kept talking.

"I guess?" Tris shrugged and tried to answer, but her voice came out in a squeak.

"You guess?" Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. The longer Tobias watched him, the more curious he got about the conversation. It was obvious they were talking about the events of last night. That much wasn't difficult to hide.

"Okay! It was _amazing_… Like I don't think I've ever felt that way… It was so incredible Christina."

Christina seemed to be deep in thought until her eyes widened and she almost jumped in her chair, "It was your first time wasn't it?"

He couldn't contain his surprise either. She hadn't told him. But the more he thought about it, the more it begun to make sense. How she was so worried and self-conscious… Why she seemed nervous at first… It was all coming together. And he wanted to smack himself for not putting it together any earlier.

Tris didn't answer her.

"It's usually that way when you're a virgin!" Then she poked her chin, "Well, you're not anymore…"

"Ssh. Be quiet!" Tris yelped, "I don't want the whole café knowing that I had sex. Okay?" She forced out.

"Don't worry… I won't tell anyone." Christina motioned to her heart, drawing a 'X' across her chest, before swearing upon it, "I promise."

"Good." Tris concluded.

However, it seemed, her friend wouldn't be able to get this one go. "Do you regret it, do you?"

Tris simply shook her head, "No. I definitely don't."

Christina put both hands up in surrender and nodded her head content with all she had heard. "But just so you know, I'm pretty sure everyone in here already knows since you have that post-sex glow." Tobias couldn't help but snicker.

He snapped out of their conversation and into his own little bubble when his phone buzzed in his lap. He leapt slightly in his seat from the sudden surprise. "Hello?" He answered the call.

"My dear son! How are you today?" His body went as rigid as the wooden chair he was sitting on. He fought the urge to slam his fists onto the table and instead, opted out for almost crushing his phone.

"What do you want _Marcus?_" He seethed through clenched teeth, letting the name drip with venomous hate.

"I'm going to disregard how rude you are being and to warn you, because I'm feeling quite generous." The phone cracked from the other side, but he knew, it was the same voice he had recognized—the same voice he despised so much.

"Cut the crap. What are you up to?" Tobias spoke bluntly; he wasn't in the mood for games.

"Didn't I warn you to keep a closer eye on your surroundings Tobias?" Marcus was teasing him, making him flinch at every word. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but whip his head around, making sure to carefully scan over the room. Nothing looked out of place, everyone seemed like they were doing their own thing. But that was the trick, Marcus knew people, people who were good at hiding things. "Didn't I also tell you that I'd make you pay?" His voice turned cold as stone, and Tobias' face paled.

"It's not my fault _she _died! If you're so convinced on getting revenge, why don't you just kill _me._" He was on the verge of screaming, but he made himself hush to a whisper. The only thing pulling him back was the knowledge that he had to keep this from Tris. He spared one glance at her, and it seemed he had her full attention now. She tilted her head, as if to say, _what's wrong? _And _who is that? _

"But that wouldn't be as much fun!" He was toying with him, but Tobias wasn't going to give in any time soon—not when there was so much at stake.

Tobias ignored the looks Tris was sending him, and spoke harshly into the phone, "I won't let you get her. I am not the same scared, little boy when you died. I'm stronger and more powerful than you'll ever be."

"We'll see about that." He laughed. It was the kind of laugh that shook someone to the bone—the one that is so menacing it never really leaves you. "I was trying to be nice and allowed you to have last night with Tris because we both knew how _special _it was for the both of you. But mark my words Tobias, I will be coming for you, _the both of you_, by the end of tonight." As abrupt as he had called, he disconnected.

And Tobias was left more conflicted than ever.

Tris was still staring at him; she had overheard every single word but he doubted she could fit the pieces together. Christina and Will weren't in the seats anymore, and he looked over at Tris, asking her without the use of words.

"Bathroom." She spoke; her voice was gentle, serene and the opposite to how his was a few seconds ago. "What's wrong Tobias?" Her eyes told it all; she was worried about him, _about them_.

"I'll tell you all we need to know, we just have to get out of here." She didn't seem to understand, but when opened his mouth, she understood the full severity behind his words, "Now."

"What about Christina and Will?" She asked, concerned.

"We'll give them a text once we're on the road." He instructed. His voice was calm but his hands were trembling.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know Tris." Neither one said anything more as they hurried out of the café. He pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her as they scurried along the road to their car. Her eyes flickered between her feet and his face, but he couldn't meet them. He needed to hold on for a few more minutes, he needed to be strong for the both of them right now—their lives depended on it. It wasn't a joke anymore; his father wasn't fooling around anymore.

It was a while before someone broke the silence. Only it wasn't him, it was Tris. "Tobias?" Her voice trembled anxiously. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Of course we are." He sighed and gave Tris a quick squeeze to let her know everything was okay. "I won't let anything happen to you."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, 8 pages full of writing. Hope you all enjoyed that. I've been reading over my earlier chapters, and have found them I'm a bit jumpy with my scenes, like they were at the university, then on the coast somewhere, and now here. Let me know if you think that also? I might have to go fix some things up if you guys agree… but I will probably leave it until I come back if I still feel the need to patch up the sketchy parts.

Oh and by the way, I may/may not get the chance to upload again before I leave but I wish you all a merry christmas and have a wonderful break! I'll see you when I update next xx

(P.S Thanks for the 20,000 views! This is beyond incredible!)


	23. Chapter 22

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

TOBIAS

All he could feel was numb, his fingers, his legs, every limb in his body. He couldn't even feel the touch of Tris' hand on his; he had blocked it all out—not intentionally of course, it was some sort of coping mechanism. When everything he loved was in jeopardy, his entire body shuts down, everything stopped working and everything turned blurry. All he could focus on was getting them both out of there, and that's what he had to do.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter in his left hand whilst his right was placed limp between them. Silence filled the car, but it was nothing but quiet in there. The constant buzzing around his ear, the voice inside him that tormented him, everything was going haywire. His eyes were glaring into the road before them, his nerves twitching uneasily and his senses all over the place.

"Tobias?" She had called him at least three times before something clicked in his brain. He bit down on his lip as he stopped himself from looking her in the eye. She was clutching onto his arm for dear life as he sped down the highway.

"What are we going to do?" It was barely a whisper, unlike her other failed attempts at grabbing his attention, but this spoke the loudest to him.

"I don't know Tris." For once, he provided her with the truth. He was barreling the highway, for what? To where? He didn't know—all he knew was he had to get out of there.

"What do they want with us? With _me?_" Her voice was shaking, but he could hear the words being forced from her mouth. He supposed, it was time to give her some real answers—not answers that led to more questions.

Tobias sighed as he spoke, "They, _he_, wants you to get to me."

"But why would they want to get back at you?" She interrupted, her eyes widening in fear.

"Because apparently, I killed someone very dear to them."

"You didn't really, did you?" Her lips were trembling, and as she spoke, her words came out in broken syllables, "I know you didn't—you wouldn't." Her voice was confident, she believed in him. She was certain he hadn't done it.

"No… I didn't. At least, I don't think so." The last part was to himself. Tris didn't need to doubt him now, not when the whole world was going against them.

They arrived back at the house they were staying at. Tobias left the car running for a quick getaway, if needed. Slipping out of the car silently, and leaving the car door slightly ajar, he quickly strode across the front lawn. He paused, hands resting on the cold doorknob.

"What's wrong?" Tris' voice rung through his head.

"It doesn't feel right…" Tobias said softly.

"What do you mean? What doesn't feel right?" Despite her best attempts at putting up a strong façade, her voice was wavering. Her fingers were shaking with fear. It was understandable, she was basically thrown into a life—his life—she could not comprehend. He paused, lifting his index finger up to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. She nodded, eyes still focused only on him.

He pushed the door open. It creaked as it slid against the wooden floorboards. He winced at the horrible sound he made. He peered into the darkness, the lack of windows making the house barely visible. His feet took one step before coming to a halt. It was quiet—too quiet.

"Tris?" He called out, her name barely audible. "Get out of here now!" He hissed the latter but it was too late. He turned just in time to see someone swing something at his face. He toppled over, head feeling woozy. He could feel something trickle down his face, and he suddenly realized it was blood. Somewhere along the chaos, he had lost track of her. Blood was preventing his ability to see, and the lack of control over his body made it almost impossible to find her. His head fell to the floor with a thump, and everything was blurry once more.

"You should've left when you had the chance Tobias." The voice cackled before everything went black.

…

When he came to, he couldn't see anything. The room was completely black, with the exception of a flickering light he could see beneath the door. It was dim, and Tobias suspected it was the only thing lighting the corridor beyond the metal door that held him. He shifted but flinched at the pain when the metal shackles around his wrist bucked into each other. The pain was bad, but he tried to ignore it, focusing all his strength on his surroundings.

He lifted his head, and he could feel the sudden rush of blood. It made him sway for a little before he finally regained his posture. He was on his knees, with his hands securely bound behind his back. One glance and he knew, he wouldn't be getting out of here any time soon.

Instead, he decided to call out, "Hey!" He grunted, his voice was hoarse and screaming had made it even worse. "Hey!" He tried again, biting back the burning sensation in his throat.

"Shut up in there." He heard someone reply. It was rough, and the person to whom the voice belong to, was undoubtedly pissed off. His voice was gruff and deep, and Tobias could only imagine the type of man guarding his door.

"I want to know what you did to Tris!" Tobias demanded.

"The girl?" The man responded, "Who knows? They took her somewhere else when they brought you here to me." He could hear the man laugh as he added more, "Looked a bit banged up too. It's a waste that such a pretty thing would have to end up at the brothel." Tobias could feel his anger rising, fumes basically rising from his head.

"Don't talk about her that way!" He screamed, thrashing around in his chains. "I'll kill you!"

The man didn't seem fazed, but that was probably because there was a bolted metal door separating them. "Don't blame the messenger. Just telling you what I heard."

Tobias sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He had lost her.

He didn't know how long he was left wallowing in his own misery, his own despair filling the entire room. The guard hadn't said anymore, and Tobias didn't ask anything else. He had deemed it not worthy as all the replies he would receive were grunts or answers that made him ask _more _questions. He muttered to himself, whispering over and over that everything was going to be all right. But truthfully, he wasn't even sure he would make it out _alive_, let aloneall right. Nonetheless, all he could think of was Tris and what they were doing to her. He slammed his eyes closed, and shook his head. No, he had to believe that she was still alive, unharmed—and _safe_. But if he were to believe the guards words, she wouldn't be for much longer.

His head snapped upwards as he heard the door being unbolted. "Well, well, well." Shivers ran down his body and he turned cold at the voice, "How the tables have turned."

"You son of a bitch!" Tobias was on his feet in an instant, his hand lashing out. He could feel the chains restrict his area of movement and he retracted them slowly, fists still ready at his sides.

"Now, now Tobias." He was dancing in the shadows, stepping out into the light only for a brief second before returning to the darkness. "You better behave."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Tobias snorted.

"Or else I'll kill _her_." And with a click of his fingers, the door reopened, the light now blaring into his eyes. He blinked furiously, readjusting to the sudden burst of white. When he could finally see, he squinted at the doorway. Standing there was, assumedly, the same guard holding tugging something behind him as he walked in.

It was Tris.

Tobias had never seen her so fragile, so vulnerable. She was being held up by her hair, her hands bound behind her back in a similar fashion to his, with tears staining her face. Despite the lack of light, he could see the bruises that were forming on her cheek.

He felt his blood begin to boil as he threw his arms around manically, pulling at the chains. "I'll kill you!" All he could see was red. He didn't notice how much his wrists were now burning and he didn't care.

His eyes flickered between Marcus, who was still too much of a coward to face him himself, to Tris who was now being shoved onto her knees in front of him. He met her eyes and all he could see were endless streams of tears. She didn't understand what was going on, her face showed that much. It was clear to everyone that she was terrified to the bone.

Tobias broke away from her when he heard Marcus clapping, "I see now I've got your attention." His lips smacked together victorious. "Shall we talk now?"

Tobias could feel his fists clenching, turning his bloodied knuckles white. He wanted to protest, scream or yell so badly but he could only widen his eyes in fear of what Marcus would do then. "What do you want Marcus?" He growled, his eyes never leaving Marcus for a second. He hadn't known him to be a coward, but his actions today proved so. He was hiding behind bodyguards, men with guns, and even with them beside him, he refused to come out into the open.

"Doesn't that seem to be the million dollar question?" He teased, his voice bouncing around the walls.

"Why are you hiding?" Tobias provoked a little, goading him in hopes of speaking to him face to face, man on man. "Are you that terrified that you have to hide? Even when I'm being chained like an animal?"

He heard laughter, it was soft but it grew increasingly louder, until he felt the shift in the room's atmosphere. Then clapping, _why was he clapping? _"You know, that would've been quite funny if we weren't on opposite sides. You don't have to go against me any longer Tobias. We can still be a family, _son_." He finally took a step out of the darkness.

He looked almost the exact same he had years ago. Nothing had changed; not the way he spoke—perhaps, an added hint of bitterness now—or the way he dressed. The only difference being the new addition of grey hairs that complimented his black and the new wrinkles that had formed around his eyes.

Tris' eyes almost popped from her head. "Son?" The room became as quiet as the night, "You're Tobias' father?"

"Whoops. Thought you might've told her…" He took a few steps closer, and Tobias could begin to see him more clearly, including the smirk that he had always wore.

Tobias turned his attention back to Tris. "You want to kill your own son?" She had obviously found her voice, her confidence to speak, feeling nothing but anger. He could hear the pain and fear in her voice, but there was more, there was rage, hatred behind every word she spat out.

"Well, aren't you awfully talkative now. By the way, how are you feeling Tris?" Marcus continued to taunt. "I'm sorry the other guys weren't gentle with you. I instructed them, telling that this delivery was extra… _fragile_. But you know how it is with men; they're always so _fascinated_ with pretty little toys. Don't you think?" He reached out for Tris and grabbed her cheeks, holding them upwards as if to examine her features. He felt his whole body grow tense and it only relaxed a little when Marcus let her go. "And what about you _son? _Are you feeling comfortable yet?"

Tobias opted to spit out at him, rather than give an answer that was probably—no definitely—smarter. "Go fuck yourself." He forced out bitterly.

"I see you're still up to your old nasty habits. No matter, we'll soon change that." He smirked slyly. He clicked his fingers and the same man from before rushed in. "Take her away and put her in the cells. Leave him here for the night." He ordered. "He'll learn not to disobey me soon enough." On his command, the guard heaved Tris up and dragged her away.

Tobias continued to fling himself at them, though it did nothing but hurt him more. He screamed, and yelled but it seemed no one was listening. He flung his head back to Marcus who was still standing in the corner, and glared daggers into his skull.

Marcus began to walk to the door, pausing to speak. He laughed, cruel sounds echoing through the empty room. "Oh don't worry Tobias. We both know I always get what I want."

* * *

**A/N: **BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THE 150 REVIEWS! And whoop, found internet for now!

P.S. If you want to see how I pictured Tobias' apartment and the uni campus, head over to my profile and click the link. :)


	24. Chapter 23

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 23**

TOBIAS

Marcus hadn't come back to visit him since yesterday's little charade. And if it Tobias was to speak the complete truth, he would've loved to never see that man's face again. He hated him, he loathed him, and he despised what Marcus did to him. He tore his family apart, and blamed him for his mother's death. He couldn't feel anything but anger every single time he heard his voice, saw his face, or even be in the same room as him. The man was despicable—what kind of a man blames his five-year-old son for his mother's murder? What does it take for someone like that to wake up each day and continue to call himself a man? It was as simple as that, really, he wasn't a man. He was a coward. Always hiding behind masks, phones and guns. Tobias was disgusted to even be related to such a person.

Despite all this, there was a small glimmer, a fleeting part of him that continued to love him regardless. There was a bond than ran through them that was thicker than blood, it was the pain they felt, the anguish and despair they shared. All in all, he could feel hatred filling his body and consuming his soul, but he could never bring himself to _hate_ Marcus. Hell, he had even tried, tried to let himself forgive him. But there would be none of that, forgiveness and hate weren't an option, and neither was love. He wouldn't dare call him 'father', no, he had to earn that right—and that meant not abandoning your own son. In spite of everything though, Tobias knew, when it came down to it, he could never bring himself to kill him.

But what would happen if he had to choose between Marcus and Tris? Who could he afford to lose?

He shook his head; it was ludicrous to even doubt himself for a moment. He would have to kill the man that called himself his father, though he had been anything but that—heck, he would've made a better enemy at that. Tobias knew that when it would come down to that, Tobias would choose Tris—he would always choose Tris.

"Not so tough now, are we?" The man grabbed his chin, squeezing his cheeks. Tobias didn't make a motion to shake the man off; he didn't have energy to even keep his eyes open before he drifted into darkness again. It was strange really, the man's voice was so familiar but his blurred sight and impaired hearing made it almost impossible to tell. The way he spoke, and the forcefulness in his actions was not lost.

When the man finally snapped his hand away, he kicked a tray towards Tobias. On the plain plastic laid a piece of moldy bread—that was not fit to eat, even for a prisoner—and half a cup of water. He took one look at his "food", and raised one eyebrow at the man. "How do you expect me to eat this?" He questioned, hands jingling behind his back.

"I don't care, eat or don't eat, it's not my problem." The man snapped, cruel laughter loud in his sensitive ears.

"Enough Jace." Another voice spoke. Tobias hadn't even realised another person was in the room, his delirious state making it almost impossible to register anything in his head. "I'll deal with him. Go see if Marcus needs you somewhere else."

"I was told to guard him—" The original man began to protest.

"And I'm telling you that you're needed elsewhere. Now _go_." It was an order this time, not a suggestion. The clearly lower ranking man scurried out of the room and was soon bouncing down the hallway. Tobias waited until he heard the footsteps disappear before he let out a sigh of relief. However, this was short lived when he heard a sharp intake—the other man was still here.

From where his head hung low, he could see the man pacing back and forth on the opposite wall. It was a while before he spoke, but it surprised Tobias when he didn't hear any gruffness in the man's voice. The way he spoke to Tobias was entirely different to how he had spoken to the previous man. Tobias noted the strange behaviour.

"Good morning." Tobias didn't have the strength to look up, and his head dangled limply as he listened to the footsteps. They grew louder and louder. Tobias felt groggy; he was tired, weak, dehydrated. Every part of his body was exhausted, and he would always stumble and fall before he made it onto his feet.

"I see you're not having as good of a morning as I am." The guy mumbled, as he kneeled down before were face to face, but Tobias could only look at him for a second before his eyes fluttered elsewhere. He fell in and out of consciousness; the deprivation of sleep and the lack of water and food, making him go woozy. Despite how terrible he felt, the man's familiarity hit him with a pang. His insides were itching but the memory wouldn't roll off his tongue. The voice, Tobias soon realised, was one he had heard many times before, and the more he tried to focus, the easier it was to remember the face. He brought his eyes up slowly and was met by ones that he hadn't expected to see again.

"Christian?" He breathed out, almost certain that his eyes were tricking him. "You're not real..." He whispered.

"It's nice to see you too buddy." Christian gave him a soft smile, but there was no happiness behind it, only grave seriousness. "I'm so sorry you're caught up in this mess... I tried—I tried to keep you out of it as long as I could but he found out... I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Tobias reassured, though he was sure his voice wasn't all that believable.

"I tried to help, but he suspects I'm up to something. I can't do much, and I'm sorry but I've tried to ease your passage." He whispered, eyes darting around the room frantically as if he was scared of someone overhearing them.

Tobias didn't understand, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't have much time Tobias, but you've got to listen to me. Do you understand?" His voice was stern and Tobias could only nod along to every word. "I've given you one opportunity, and only one, so when it comes, _take it._" His eyes were wide, as he tried to gesture to something in his own hands. He shoved something into Tobias' hands and unbuckled his chains. Tobias could barely understand what he meant, but he was here, _his best friend_—ex best friend—but still, he was here and he was willing to give up his life to help him. He didn't say anymore, but his eyes said all that was needed to say, a thousand apologies and the promise to make things better. With that he left and Tobias fell slack against the chains, welcoming the bliss that accompanied unconsciousness.

_I've given you one opportunity, and only one, so when it comes, **take it.**_

…

He woke up to some pouring ice water over his head. His immediate reaction was to jerk upwards, and he had managed to balance on his feet for a few moments before his weak knees gave out. He fell to the floor, but he ignored the searing pain around his knees. He glanced angrily around the room, and he caught the sight of a man leaving the room. He was fuming inside, but he shivered from the cold water. When he moved his hands around his back, he was thoroughly surprised when he noticed the shackles had been unbound. They laid on the floor behind him, the crispy raw edges made him shiver. He brought his hand sup to his face to examine the damage. They had been scrapped raw and there were red blisters that had begun to form around his wrists. He touched them softly and winced at the throbbing flesh. He bit down on his lips, hard enough to draw blood, and tried to focus on anything but the agonizing pain. His face softened slightly when they landed upon a small girl curled in the corner.

"Tris?" It was quieter than a whisper, but her head perked up happily—well, as happy as you could get in a hell such as this.

"Tobias?" Her voice gave away her disbelief, and she shifted out of the shadows. Her eyes widened at the sight of him but they began to tear.

He crawled himself to her, pulling her to his chest when she was close enough. He could feel her hot tears seeping through his torn shirt. She was crying both happy and terrified tears. "Ssh." He soothed, rubbing his hand up and down her back, "I'm here." He could feel her nod.

He took the moment of silence to take her in. She was battered and bruises, and not that much better than him. He could handle the pain, any beatings they gave him, but he couldn't take them touching her. He let his fingers brush over the new bruise that had formed around her eye. He traced the wound lightly. "What did they do to you?" He muttered, his voice filled with worry.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." She replied, as he planted a kiss on the top of her forehead. She leaned into his touch, and he forgot how good it felt to hold her tight. She brought her eyes up to look at him, and he could see how poorly she looked. Her lips were cracked, and there were small cuts and scraps that scarred her face and arms. It almost broke him to see her like this.

"We'll get through this." Tobias whispered as he kissed her on the lips. It was still as sweet and as breathtaking as he had remembered. There was a hint of desperation, fear but all was forgotten once they were lost in each other. He held her tight, and she clung onto him, her tears still falling. He had kissed away her tears but more formed in its absence. "Don't worry, we'll be okay." He promised.

"Isn't this sweet?" They broke apart at the sound of someone speaking. They were both staring at him, _Marcus_, and their bodies had grown tense in his company but neither moved away from each other. In fact, Tobias had his arm wrapped around her waist even more firmly, pulling her even closer to him if possible.

His eyes watched Marcus like a hawk as he paced back and forth along the opposite wall. Silently, he let his grip around Tris loosen slightly as he positioned himself in front of her. His body covered her but that would be no use if he couldn't defend himself. He could barely stand, let alone take on men who had lived—and trained—in a life that dealt with these sorts of things, not to mention the heavy artillery they had tucked away into their pockets.

"I knew this reunion would be good for the both of you, they told me I was being crazy but I said _no, this is my son and he will do whatever he takes to protect her._" Tobias flinched at every word. "I guess I was right after all. I'd hate for them to think that you wouldn't protect her, because who knows where she'll end up after this?" Tobias could feel Tris digging her fingers into his shirt, bunching the thin fabric as her fists balled up. He glanced down at her and saw that she had been paying no attention to him but rather the man who was threatening her.

"Why are you doing this?" She demanded, her voice stern.

"Aren't you a feisty little one?" He teased, taking a step closer. He laughed, seeing our bodies freeze at every step, before retreating backwards. "I can't even begin to imagine all the money and _customers_ you'd bring in. Oh this will be marvelous!" He clasped his hands together.

"Well, you got what you wanted… We're both here. Now tell us what you're planning to do!" He slid his hand over to grab hers, feeling the need to find strength to speak. She squeezed his hand and urged him to go on, "Isn't this what you wanted all along? To make me suffer? To make me watch as you hurt the girl I love?"

"No Tobias." He replied coldly, "You've barely even touched the surface. I want you to watch as I tear her to pieces and then I'll break you too. I will make you watch as I kill her right in front of you. And when you're finally the worthless, _weak_, little boy you once were, you'll be begging for me to kill you. But I won't, as tempting as that would be, I want you to walk this earth alone. Then and _only then_, will you begin to feel my pain." His voice had turned bitter and harsh, there was no emotion, no humanity left to salvage from this man.

"I didn't kill her!" Tobias screamed. "She died in a car crash. It wasn't my fault!"

"Yes, you did. You don't remember, how lucky for you, but I remember. I remember it _all_." He seethed, voice sour with hate, "_You_." He pointed a finger at Tobias, "You were in that car that day, you, being the spoilt brat you were, was screaming in the backseat. Your mother, the only person I ever loved, turned her head for a split second to comfort you. It was then, that the car collided with the truck. She died on impact, but _you, you _survived. But I'm going to make you wish that you hadn't."

"No…" Tobias whispered, head shaking with disbelief. That wasn't right, he wasn't in the car… The nurses, when he woke at the hospital, had told him he had been brought there when he had fainted at home… They couldn't have been lying, they wouldn't. But as he looked into Marcus' eyes, he couldn't see anything but blame.

"All these year I've watched you, lying in wait. All those girls you've been with… I was tempted, so tempted, to take one of them, to do to you what you did to me but I let him, Christian, convince me no." Tobias' eyes widened at Christian's name, and he could feel Tris do the same. "As much as I hate to say it, but he was right to say those girls didn't mean much to you. I didn't believe him until I happened to stumble across _her_…" He jerked his thumb at Tris. "But it seems that he wasn't doing it for me... In fact, if I am correct, all this time, he was still trying to protect you."

"What do you mean?" Tobias added rather too quickly.

He could feel an evil grin growing on Marcus' face, "You see, all this time, I've believed that what Christian told me was the truth, and that those girls really did mean nothing to you—and they didn't—but he was telling me for all the wrong reasons." He paused, dramatising his speech, "He was doing it to protect you. His love for you—the friendship, the _bond_ you shared—was stronger than his fear and loyalty to me. I didn't count on that, and I really should've known better. I let my emotions cloud my judgement. I let the friendship I had with his father, confuse my decisions. But not anymore, it all ends here and _now_."

Their conversation was quickly interrupted when the metal door banged open and in came one man, seemingly dragging another. Tobias' eyes opened wide when he saw it was Christian. The man continued to drag his unmoving body to the other side of the room before dumping him to the ground in a heap. Tobias watched on in horror as the man whispered to Marcus, his own eyes soon widening as a cruel smile licked across his face. Tobias didn't even have time to register the shock on Tris' face, his sole attention was on Christian and Marcus.

"It's such a shame that such talent has to go to waste now." He shook his head, looking at Christian disappointed, "Your dear friend here, is—_was_ my most loyal of workers and has been for almost ten years of now. All this time, he had been working against me, and right under my nose too." He sneered at all of them. "What I don't understand is why he would help you. After all, you were the one who abandoned him, the one who left him all alone in this world—I was the one who took him in, who gave him a purpose in this wretched world again. Yet, somehow, his loyalty to you never wavered. That I do not understand at all."

Tobias could see Christian stirring, now waking up from what possibly was a nasty blow to the head.

"You see, I was the one who made Christian and Tris meet. I was counting on her falling for him, but she didn't—her love for you was too strong. Instead, as foolish as it was, somehow, he fell for her. Everyone seems to be loyal to you, but I'm about to change that—I'll break them," he pointed at Tris and Christian, "until they eventually turn on you."

"They will never help you." Tobias interrupted, his voice fuelled with fiery anger.

"We shall see in time." He stopped, thinking about his next words, "Actually, let's put one to test right now." Marcus took another step closer, and In that moment, Tobias felt like he was able to take on a whole army. Adrenaline surged through his entire body.

Marcus turned to Christian, "I'be never been one for shocks, but you really took me for surprise. I would never have guessed that you'd help him, of all people. I'll give you one chance, promise me your alliance like you had always done, and I shall spare your life."

"No." Christian's voice was strong, but Tobias could hear it breaking.

"Then you leave me no choice. Because now I'll have to kill you, then her." He pointed at Tris.

"They didn't do anything—he didn't do anything!" Tobias screamed. "Leave him alone!" He spared a glance at Christian, who was now staring back at him. Their eyes locked, and Christian sent him a look, Tobias could only manage a small nod. He understood what he was asking; _I've given you one opportunity, and only one, so when it comes, **take it.**_

He mouthed his last few words, _I'm sorry,_ before he closed his eyes and awaited the end to his suffering.

"I'm sorry Tobias. I can't do that." Tobias saw a flash of silver and he could only watch horrified as Marcus aimed a gun at his friend's head. When he heard the gun fire, tears bursted from his eyes, sobs clogged his throat and he forgot how to breathe. He forgot about Tris, he forgot about Marcus, he forgot about everyone else… It was just him and Christian.

As soon as Marcus retracted the gun, Tobias mustered all of his strength and crawled to his friend. He drew his friend closed as he rocked him back and forth, whispering madly to the dead body, "I'm so sorry Christian… I've failed you. But we will be reunited, _best friends until the end… right?_"

He didn't know how long he had stayed like that, fear and grief consuming every inch of his soul—and all he could feel was the pain. The pain he had hated; pain from the loss of his mother, his only friend. Possibly every good thing that had ever happened to him had been ripped from him, and it was slowly tearing Tobias apart.

"What did I tell you Tobias? I told you love for _him_, for _her_, makes you vulnerable. It makes you _weak_." He cackled.

As he looked on at Christian, he remembered how his eyes had been wide with fear during the last few moments of his life. He laid his forehead on his former friend, and whispered, "I won't let you die in vain. You gave me an opportunity and I will take it. I promise you, I'll make it up to you. I promise, we'll be together in the end." He planted a small kiss on his former friends forehead, and slowly let go. He slipped from him, and tears welled up in his eyes as he said his final goodbye.

Christian's words rung loud in his ears and Tobias shoved himself to his feet. _I've given you one opportunity, and only one, so when it comes, take it. _

_**Take it.**_

"No, you're wrong, _father_." It was the first time he had ever spoke those words to him, but it wasn't loving as it usually is in tradition, instead, it was filled with spite—he finally understood, he really did hate the man. He reached behind him, to where he had shoved the small metal into his pants, and pulled it out slowly. His hands were shaking with both fear and strength—he would do this for both himself and Christian. Standing up as he held the gun firmly in his hands, he spoke his last words, "Love is what makes me strong."

With that, he pulled the trigger.

* * *

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! **Enjoy this extra long chapter which is my gift to you. You have no idea how long it took to upload this chapter—wifi kept dropping in and out and I basically had to sit at the lounge for an hour to keep refreshing the page. Anyway, hope you enjoyed that and maybe it answered some questions (or perhaps left you with more?) I'd like to hear your thoughts on this chapter. See you next time :)


	25. Chapter 24

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 24**

TOBIAS

He stared at the cold, unmoving body on the ground. He had done it; he had killed Marcus, his _own father_. He was dead—and he wasn't going to come back to life.

But regardless of how he had felt about Marcus, nothing felt worse than the loss of Christian. The grief, was all-consuming, it tore him to the core. Nothing, nothing in his life could even begin to compare with this loss—not even his mother's. Sure, she had been the centre of his life but after she was gone, Christian became his everything—his rock, his best friend, his brother, _his family_. He had given Tobias everything and yet, he had given him more… he had given his life up for his—it the ultimate sacrifice. And if it was reversed, Tobias too, would've given up everything if it meant saving his family.

Tobias' entire body felt like it was on fire; his throat was burning and his flesh felt like it was going to melt right off his bones. He could feel this itching sensation all over his body and he began to claw at his own skin, desperate to relieve himself of the agonizing pain.

He felt a tug on his arm, "Come on Tobias. We have to leave now." Her eyes motioned towards the door. "They would've heard the gun shot by now and they'll be coming for us. We have to _go_." She gave one last pull at his arm and he let her drag him out the door.

Soon enough they were running. Tobias didn't feel anything, not even the thick mud sloshing beneath his feet or how Tris was trying to comfort him. He felt sick to the stomach; how was he supposed to live now knowing that he had just killed a man?

"Tobias we have to go." She urged, her hands still pulling him along. Her palm was soft and it took away the searing pain—she took away all his pain. She was healing him, her presence having a soothing quality. All he wanted was to hold her close, and just this time, for her to tell him everything was going to be just fine.

Everything after he had pulled the trigger was a blur, he didn't even remember running, he didn't remember how they had escaped, all he could feel was well… nothing. He felt empty, _lost? _

His feet soon fell into the same rhythm as Tris' as they fled the scene. He had tripped over, fallen, gotten back up, but he had barely remembered anything. It was all happening so fast, he couldn't comprehend what he was doing anymore. And he began to drift in and out of consciousness, old memories resurfacing. His eyes began to close and he felt the warmth of childhood memories embracing him.

_"Tobias?" _

_"Yes?" He hummed, legs kicking away as he launched himself off the ground. The swing swung higher than it had ever gone, and Tobias felt like he was flyin_g—_well, at least how flying would've felt to a eight-year-old_.

_"Do you think you'll remember me?" He looked over at his best friend who was sitting on the other swing. His had stopped moving a while ago, and he seemed rather sad than happy. "Do you think we'll be friends forever?" _

_Tobias slowed the swing and grinned at his friend, "Of course Christian. We'll be best friends, forever and ever, till the very end." _

"Tobias?" He heard his name once again, and he could feel himself drifting further and further from the comfort of old memories. Soon enough, he was brought back tor reality. Tris looked over him uneasily, worry and concern painted across her face.

"Yes?" He hummed, the familiarity of it all bringing back some sort of trance of happiness. His insides glowed and he felt a little bit better.

"We have to keep moving." She coaxed and he nodded numbly at her order.

His feet were still pounding on the ground as they continued to sprint, leaving the abandoned warehouse far behind them. Her palm was firmly pressed into his, pulling him along when he slowed. She didn't give him, urging him to continue. But it was all a strain, both physically and mentally.

As he got lost in the sound of footsteps sloshing in the mud, his thoughts drifted elsewhere and once again, he was consumed by his long, forgotten memories.

_"It's not too late right?" His friend called to him. _

_"Too late for what?" Tobias answered. _

_"To run away together…" Christian suggested, and the thought hadn't actually crossed his mind once. He didn't want to think of the fact that he'd lose his one and only friend. He didn't want to deal with the loss of another person in his life. _

_"No." Tobias whispered. "I don't care where we are Chris, all I know is I want to be with you always." The ten-year-old naivety was expected, but Tobias actually contemplated on the idea. He couldn't comprehend what the real world was actually alike, but in his mind, nothing was clearer than the need to spend the rest of his life with his best friend._

_"Always and forever?"_

_"Forever and always."_

He woke up from the flashback with a jostle. When his eyes snapped back open, he realized he had only been gone for a second, but it had felt like an eternity. Eternity… an eternity he had promised to Christian. It had been ages since that conversation, and Tobias wondered why he had never remembered it earlier. It seemed he had pushed all these memories far from his mind, into a place where no one could touch them because they were too painful. All the memories with him and Christian were all but a distant speck. He couldn't remember all this time, because he _hadn't wanted to_. It _hurt_ him to remember how he had lost his best friend—how he had been taken from him.

_"I'm going to miss you Tobias." Christian wrapped his friend into a hug, tears balling down his face as he clutched onto Tobias' shirt. They hugged, and neither had wanted to let go. They knew even for an eleven year old, when they let go, the other would be gone. And that terrified them both. _

_Tobias choked on a sob as he reluctantly let go, but the pressure from his mother's hand on his shoulder told him it was time. As they pulled away, Christian leaned in and whispered, "Remember what you said. Best friends till the end."_

When he came back to, he was crying. Real tears were leaking from his eyes and the more he tried to will them away, the faster they poured. Soon, he found himself sobbing quietly as they slipped further into the night. He had broken his last promise to Christian. He hadn't been there for his friend, he had abandoned his only real friend. The promise to be friends forever was lost into the night.

"I'm so sorry Christian... I really am. I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in the end. But I'll make it up to you... I can promise you that." he whispered but the voice soon faded into the moonlight, "I'm so sorry... This—this is all my fault... You died because of me. It's all my fault." His voiced slowed and he sagged in utter defeat.

Tris had now slowed to a brisk pace and his arm fell limp by his side as the distance between them closed.

"It's not your fault." She whispered but he shook his head, disagreeing.

"Yes, it is. He gave up his life for me Tris." His voice floated away with the wind, it was so soft that Tris barely caught it. Her eyes turned gentle, and she gave him a tiny squeeze.

"He gave up his life for _us,_ Tobias." She spoke firmly. "He saved us _both_."

He turned looked at her curiously. "Back then. You looked surprised… you looked like you knew him… You knew him didn't you?"

She sighed, "I met him by chance one night after we… after we had a break, and well, I didn't know it at the time, but he was into me." She lowered her eyes, "I didn't know… I didn't know that you two knew each other. Maybe if I was more careful, maybe if I knew sooner, maybe he wouldn't have looked so betrayed… Maybe he wouldn't have died bitter."

"He probably died hating me." He muttered, his gaze now on the ground. He kicked a pebble furiously and it flew far away. "He died thinking I took his girl."

"No… he knew I was still hung up on another guy." She avoided his gaze, "He didn't ask, but he wanted to be there for me… He wanted to be the one… But I said no, that I couldn't do it… I'm as much to blame as you are."

"He didn't deserve to die Tris. He was my best friend! And I left him there, I—I couldn't help him."

She tilted her head to get a look at him. Slowly and carefully, she lifted her hand to touch his cheek. One hot tear rolled down and touched her finger. She didn't know what she felt, but it was a strange sensation; it felt like somehow, all hurt and the grief was beginning to go away. "He died knowing that you loved him. He didn't die hating you! If he hated you, he wouldn't have died for you, he wouldn't have tried to save you. But he _did_, he saved you Tobias, he saved _both of us."_ She choked on her words, "Maybe he felt he owed it to us, that he had to die for us to be happy. Perhaps, in some weird way, he knew, his death would only draw us closer. Maybe that's why he did it… To make sure we would get to live, _to love._"

He pulled her close, needing to feel the comfort of her against him once more. They stood in the cold, the wind constantly nipping away at their tender flesh. The grief had been overwhelming, but being with Tris made it better—for a brief moment, he didn't feel like he was drowning in despair. _He actually felt okay_. "I don't know how I'm going to live without him… I wish—I wish I could've told him that I loved him one last time." He took a deep breath in, "I miss him Tris."

She nodded, "I know you do. I miss him too."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait, I didn't have Internet for the past week. Anyway, I apologise for that and the short chapter but I found it only fitting that it ended like that for Christian.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me and I will try to answer you as best as I can and even include it in the next chapter if possible. As always, it would make me smile if you left me your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	26. Chapter 25

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 25**

TRIS

Hope is a funny thing—it often has a way of making you feel fuzzy and warm on the inside, but sometimes, it can break you to the core. That was how it felt watching Tobias.

The whole ordeal had been traumatic to say the least—to witness the death of your best friend and to be the one to pull the trigger on your own father, yes, even despite the fact that he was a psychopath—well, that would've broken someone completely. Tobias was putting on a brave face, but she could see, only _Tris_ could see the small moments when his façade would slip, and she would get a glimpse of how torn he actually was. No one else caught onto these flashes of weakness, and in the eyes of others, Tobias was his usual self. It seemed only Tris understood what he really needed—time to grieve, to heal, time to forget and move on—yet, in some part of her mind, she doubted whether he really could get over this.

The longer he went without talking about it, the more she could see it changing him.

They were back in the safety of Tobias' apartment, though Tris doubted whether it was really that safe if he had felt the need to escape this place previously. Granted, the man who was basically 'hunting' them was long dead, and his accomplices gone with the wind no doubt, but the aftermath of it all stuck around—like a thick fog, following their every move. It was so dense, Tris could barely breathe. She didn't know whether it was the guilt crushing them both or the fact that Tobias hadn't spoken a single word since two nights ago.

Looking at him now, sprawled on the couch, he looked so vulnerable. She could only see the side of his face, but that was all she needed. She saw everything, all the emotions swirling inside now painted on his face. It broke her heart to see him like this. He was always the strong one; he was her rock, her tether to keep her to the ground, but not today.

She flinched when she saw tears rolling off his cheek as he cried to himself silently. Seeing him like this, so broken, it _hurt her_. She reached over, her hand brushing his lightly. Her voice was gentle and soft, comforting and serene, "Tobias… I know you said to never bring it up again, but I think you need to—you need to talk about this."

"Tris, I know you're trying but you don't understand how it _feels_—"

"No Tobias." She interjected, "You've made the same excuses over and over, and I know. I get it, okay? It's hard; of course it's going to be! Do you think that losing someone's not hard? Sure, you can go ahead and say I don't understand, because I haven't lost anyone in my life—I haven't lost family, but I might as well have. _You_ had a mother who loved you, who showed you compassion and love, _I _on the other hand, had a mother who was cold; a mother who abandoned me, and as for my father, where was he when it mattered? He didn't even realize how much it affected me; he tossed everything to do with my mother aside—he pretended she didn't exist. He was no better than her. So no, you don't get the right to say I don't understand." Tears had begun to pool in her eyes and despite her attempts to speak clearly, she found her voice shaking, mirroring how she felt inside exactly.

"Tris, I didn't mean to say that—"

She nodded, "I know you think I don't understand but I think I understand more than you know. I also know you're hurting Tobias, and I'm really trying to help but I can't… I can't help you unless you let me in."

"I can't—" He swallowed, "If I let you in, I let everything in. All the grief, pain, hurt, loss, I can't—I won't be able to take it. It'll break me…" His voice wavered, "And I don't think anyone can put me back together again if I do."

Her eyes softened beneath his gaze, "The despair, all the anger and hurt you're feeling, it's too much for one person to handle. If you don't talk about it, it'll cripple you Tobias. It'll _consume_ every inch of you."

"You're strong Tobias, you've always been. You were there for me when I needed you, when I was at my lowest point. You were the one that helped me… so let me do the same."

"You can't let others and their selfish actions define who you are; the past, _your past_, it doesn't determine who you'll be in the future, that's all up to you." She took a deep breath in, "I'm here for you, but I really do think that you have to at least try…" In a soft whisper, he spoke the last part, "_Christian_ would've wanted that."

Silence echoed all around them—the lack of words was deafening.

"Okay." He sighed, nodding his head unsurely at first, but the longer she stared at him, the more she could see him _changing_—he was finally giving himself a chance at life again. "And I'm sorry for being so rude and insensitive about your parents… I know that must've been hard… Tris, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here, just like I know you would be here for me."

It was as if, she could actually see his heart _healing_, _repairing _itself, _and strengthening_ his soul. It was indescribable, the feeling she got in her chest as she witnessed this transformation. Only a few moments ago, did he claim to be a lost cause, that he was unable to feel once more, but she never doubted him, she gave him a reason to live—and to keep on living.

They hugged for what seemed like an eternity, the comfort they got from each other was all they had needed. His chest was placed firmly on her chest and she stroked his hair, running her fingers to the bottom of his neck then along his cheeks, forming a circle. Her fingers traced his facial features as her mind drifted elsewhere.

It was so strange, for Tris, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to laugh. It was only a little over a month ago, where the roles had been reversed—he had been her rock, her anchor, and she, she was the one in desperate need of someone that _cared_, that could _love_ her and also, _teach her to love_.

Finally, a little giggle escaped her lips.

"What's so funny?" He asked, tilting her head up to meet hers.

"Just thinking of how a month ago, I was the broken one and you, _you were my strength._" She whispered.

For the first time in a long while, he let out a small smile. He numbly kissed her lips and mumbled against them, "You weren't broken Tris, you never were. And you have always been strong. You're the strongest woman I know."

Her eyes shone at him, gleaming with hope and purity, "I love you Tobias."

"I know." He pressed his lips against hers again, "And I love you."

…

A few days had gone and passed and things had fallen back to it's usual routine back at the campus, though Tris rarely stayed at her dorm anymore. She had spent all her time outside of classes with Tobias, whether it was in his apartment or anywhere he wanted to go as an escape. No one had spoken anymore about that night, but she knew, when the time was right, he would talk. It seemed, like it always was in the crazy underworld—a world not many ordinary people get to see—that Marcus' death had been swept under the rug. With everything being severed off completely; accomplices disappearing and other persons affiliated with Marcus had gone under the radar, everything was so clean and efficient that the whole death could've been sealed off with a neat bow. There were no reports on the news, no small whispers along the street; it was as if Marcus had died—as he was supposed to—all those years ago.

As for Tris and Tobias, their relationship was still rocky, and they treaded around the conversation, like broken class under the tips of their toes. It wasn't a light conversation and was definitely one to be taken when ready, so neither pushed the talk—especially Tris, she understood the importance of waiting until _he _was ready to talk about it, at his own free will.

"So care to tell me where you and Tobias skipped off to for the past few days, and why you left us at that café?" Christina's voice was fierce, and Tris shrunk under her stare, "We went to the bathroom, and when we came back, you two were nowhere in sight. And all we get is one text message? Seriously! Come on Tris, you owe me an explanation. Now spill." Tris' friendship with Christina and Will had been mended as much as it could've, with Tris deliberately leaving out _some_ information—but as it seemed, it was the stuff Tris didn't say that Christina was more invested in.

"I told you in that text! It was a family emergency." Tris said with a tight lip. She bit down on it, not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to stop herself from saying more. She looked at the shorter girl, and despite the height advantage, Tris was still a little intimated by the girl.

"You said, and I quote "Sorry had to leave early, something came up". What's the something? What was so urgent you had to leave? And without a goodbye too!" She hissed and Tris flinched. Her grip on the doorknob tightened as she used her freehand to guide Christina into her dorm. Her posture was stiff and the welcome gesture, which she had meant to be inviting, didn't come off so well. She had invited her over to her dorm, instead of Tobias' apartment where she had been currently staying over, because she knew Tobias' wasn't at the stage where he could handle company still—and that definitely meant company as strong as Christina.

"There's not much to say… We just had to leave really quickly. It was all a mess and Tobias' was really distraught. I couldn't just leave him to drive on his own so I left with him." Her mind was thinking of a thousand excuses and plenty more fake explanations she could give, if the current one went awry. Despite her attempts at hiding the real reason, there was some truth behind her words. They had left because of a family emergency; only it was more of an emergency for _them_ rather than a family member.

"Oh… Is that why Tobias hasn't been around lately?" Her voice turned gentle, as she treaded softly, "I haven't seen him in classes or around the campus."

"Yeah. He's just having some trouble adjusting… I don't think he'll be ready to return this year, since there's only a few months left. But I think the university has given him a chance to carry on his work experience next year."

"I'm sorry Tris—I—I didn't mean to come off as insensitive… It's just that, everything's been so strange between us the past few weeks—the last one in particular—and I know our friendship didn't get off to the best start on the trip." She took a deep breath, "I just haven't seen much of you lately and I've been worried, scared that something might've happened to you and Tobias."

"No." She shook her head lightly, "I'm okay—we're okay." She corrected, "I've just been putting my time into helping Tobias, he's just having a really rough time right now… It's nothing personal, nothing to do with you… It's just that he's really hurting right now, and he needs me more than ever."

She sighed, "I understand, and I'm here if you need to talk too. You know that right?" She asked.

Tris nodded, understanding. "I know. And thank you Christina." She said with a smile.

The two looked at one another, friendship glowing in the air around them. Suddenly Tris realized, the cloud that had been following her, was now almost gone. There wasn't anything obstructing her view or her ability to think anymore, there was clarity in all she could do now. It was the differences in the friendship that had caused the rift between the two, and the main reason why everything had gotten so tense. But with it gone, everything had cleared up with it.

She leant in and gave her friend a small hug, the warmth and love she felt making her feel good inside. A small smile spread across her face as she whispered, "Thank you for everything."

She broke from the hug when a loud bang rung from the door. Both their heads snapped up at the sudden intrusion. From beneath the door, she could see a small shadow on the floorboards. Her eyes didn't leave the door as she walked over to it quietly, slowly unlocking the door, revealing a woman, possibly in her forties.

Tris studied her; she looked oddly familiar as if she had seen her on the street, or perhaps in a dream. Her face wasn't special but there was about her that struck something in Tris—something that she related to as an old memory.

"Tris?"

She only opened the door enough to reveal her body but not anymore. She could sense that Christina was still watching, from the bed where they were sitting before, but she didn't give that a second thought. She turned her attention back to the stranger at the door and spoke in her loudest voice, "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

She waited for a reply, but only caught onto mumbles and parts of words. She sent the woman a puzzled look, which she obviously received, as she cleared her throat and spoke once more.

"I forgot to introduce myself… I'm Natalie, Natalie Prior… your mother."

* * *

**A/N:** This is the last pre-written chapter so updates might be slower but I will still try to get them out to you asap! Thanks for your patience :)


	27. Chapter 26

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 26**

TRIS

"Mum?" Her voice was trembling and her hands were numb. She stared at the woman who had shoulder length hair that was a light brown with blonde hues streaking under the light. And despite her attempts at not looking at herself for too long in the mirror—a tradition that valued beauty that wasn't skin deep—it was hard to ignore the similarities between the two.

The woman didn't say anything, instead, she just nodded silently. Her eyes were soft, and they were watching Tris carefully, following her every movement.

"What are you doing here?" It was probably the last question she wanted to ask, but it was the only one that she could speak. There were so many things she wanted answers to, but her mind couldn't piece together the words fast enough. "Where were—Why did you leave—" She mumbled, her mind was willing her to speak, but her mouth didn't move quick enough. It was as if her mouth had been rendered speechless, frozen, much like the rest of her body. "It's been so long..."

Her mother's facial expression turned gentle, "I know and I'm sure you have so many questions."

"I do." Tris added.

"And all will be answered soon, but I need to know that you're safe... That um, you're not hurt." Tris could feel her looking at the bruises that covered her body. She flinched every single time her eyes found a new one. Most had faded already, but some had lingered longer than others, which had caused a lot of unnecessary comments and inappropriate assumptions.

"I don't know what you mean—" Tris spoke abruptly. Her words didn't give anything away but her eyes spoke volumes. Her hand twitched nervously on the doorknob, not knowing whether to just close the door or welcome her mother with open arms—but as it seemed, she did neither. In fact, she was weary of this woman who claimed she had given birth to her. Tris' had no memory of her, what little she had remembered were riddled with plot holes. She was certain that someone had deliberately made her forget... Or was it her own subconscious that didn't want to remember? She didn't know what her real mother looked like, she didn't remember what her voice sounded like, and most of all, she didn't even get the chance to know her mother before she got up and left.

"I'm not blind Tris, I may not have been here much but I have eyes. I can see that you're hurt... Who hurt you?" Natalie's voice was strong now, unlike how her previous few words had been. Tris watched her carefully as she began to lift her gaze from the floor to meet her own eyes. She caught a fleeting moment of something that resembled love, and at the same time, Tris felt a flutter in her chest. Perhaps this was the feeling you get from seeing your mother for the first time—was this how newborns felt? If it was, Tris didn't want it. She hated how she felt, despite knowing all the loss this woman had brought upon her life.

"No one." Tris bit back sharply, "No one you need to concern yourself with."

It was sad now, and her warm smile quickly turned into a frown. "Tris, I want to know... I want to be in your life again." Tris could hear her words turn desperate, as she sputtered them out in clumps, "That's why I... Why I came back."

"Why did you leave in the first place then? If you loved me, then why would you leave? And why come back now?" Tris crossed her arms, as a symbol of not looking too easily persuaded as she tried to take a strong stance.

"I do—You don't understand..." Natalie cut her words off, not allowing herself to continue.

"I'm smarter than you give me credit for. I'm sure I can follow." Tris' voice was cruel, unloving, and she could see Natalie flinching on every second word.

"I was so young... I didn't know how to raise a daughter... I wanted to—I tried so hard..." Water sprung at her eyes, "I fought the urge to leave for so long... But I couldn't... I just couldn't do it anymore..." It was barely a whisper now.

"You mean you left me, your five year old daughter, because you couldn't do it anymore?" Her temper fumed with anger, "_You_ couldn't do it anymore? Imagine how I felt... Having to grow up without a mother. And to pretend that you were always away on business trips when my friends asked because I was too afraid to say you left me. You know, dad didn't even talk about you after you left—he got rid of everything to do with you. He wanted to forget about you—and he did. But soon I forgot you too... I was five years old and I could barely remember your face. Imagine _that_."

"I'm sorry Tris. I really am. But you don't understand, you're still too young to understand what I had to grow through—"

Tris shook her head, "No. You don't understand. I'm the same age now as you were back then, and I would never, ever, do what you did to me. You robbed a five year old, _your own child,_ of her childhood. I don't know what type of person would ever do that. So you don't get to stand there and say that I'm too young—because I probably understand more than you." Her words turned bitter, "And you don't get to tell me now that you understand, because you don't. You have no idea what it feels like to watch someone die... To feel pain to the point where you don't want to live anymore... To have someone you love torn away from you... No, you don't know anything about me. And you don't get to know."

"But if you'll just let me, I can try. I can try to get to know you again..."

"No. You lost that right when you chose to leave. So now you don't get to know—you don't get to know _anything_." Her eyes had grown cold as she stared at the woman in front of her. She could feel her shrink beneath her stare.

"Tris, please—" She pleaded, but Tris remained unmoving.

"No you don't get to say anything to me now. You don't have the right to talk to me anymore. I'm eighteen. Not the little girl with tears streaming down her cheeks, begging you to stay." Tris' voiced raised with anger, "you left. _You _left_ me_. Remember?" Her words were bitter.

"I remember." The woman whispered softly. "And I'm sorry—" The look in her eyes said it all, she really was sorry. But it was petty, there was nothing that could change Tris' mind now. This was her mother but she realised she didn't want anything to do with her anymore. A mother wouldn't abandon her child—this woman was not her mother. She was a fake, a fraud, a coward.

"—that doesn't make up for anything. You've missed a lot of my life, you've missed out on everything. So you don't get to pop out of the blue one day and expect me to open my arms to you. No, that's only in fairy tales and this is reality. You, you are not my mother—and I don't want you to be." She slammed the door shut. It swung hard on its hinges before coming to a loud bang.

Tris hadn't realised how tense she had grown around the woman who was her mother, but as she let out a sigh, it wasn't relief she felt. She felt an ache in her chest, where she knew, her mother had always had a place. And when she appeared out of the blue, the sudden nausea came back, and she felt like her heart was being torn again.

She slid down on the floor in a puddle of mess, her head throbbing with the pain that came with old memories of loss and her heart squeezing with the thought of getting back what had been lost.

_Why did she come back? Tris was fine without her—she had been for the past fifteen years. So why now? _

_Why the sudden change of heart?_

She didn't know how long she had sat there, crying silent tears, but it was a while before her body began to feel stiff from her sitting position. She pushed herself to her feet, hand wrapped around the doorknob. She knew Natalie had gone when she had heard footsteps leaving the hallway, but that didn't make Tris feel any better. She swiftly opened and slipped out of the door, turning left, then walking across the road, a route she was far too familiar with.

A few minutes later, she found herself outside of Tobias' door. She brought her hand up to knock on the wooden door, like she had for so many times before, but this time something stopped her. During her brief walk, she had gone through what she was going to say, and how she was going to say it. But now standing there outside his apartment, she couldn't find it in herself to tell him of her encounter with her mother. She placed her right hand softly on the door, palm pressing into the wood hard enough to get splinters. Her head sagged as she her arm fell limp by her side once more.

She stood there, body on the brink of exhaustion; everything passed by her so quickly. People had stopped to ask if she was okay, but none of that had registered. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move, she couldn't think. It felt horrible; it was like she was trapped inside her own body.

"Tris?" Her eyes were closed, but she knew that voice inside out. "What happened?" He sounded as terrible as she felt, and she was hit with even more anguish, when she knew, she would soon be sharing her burden. Tobias had so much to deal with already, and she felt like it was selfish of her to put more on his plate.

Her eyes remained closed, but behind them, she could feel tears threatening to fall.

Suddenly, she felt her warm arms embracing her. She leant into his touch, relishing in the scent she loved so much; the comfort and familiarity of his arms releasing all the pent up tension in her body. She finally let out the long breath she had been holding, and collapsed into his arms. He soothed her, whispered calming words as he stroked her hair.

"You can tell me what's wrong." His voice coaxed. She swallowed the horrible feeling growing in her throat; she felt sick to the stomach.

"I don't know Tobias..."

"You helped me with Marcus. You've been so strong for me the past few days when I—when I felt lost, I guess." He placed a tender hand on the bottom of her chin, and slowly tilted her head upwards. "And it's my time to be the strong one for you." He looked her in the eye, "You can tell me what's wrong... You can always tell me."

She nodded at his words as she forced out words she never wanted to say, "I hate her Tobias... I really hate her."

His palms dug deeper into her skin, as she coughed up sobs, "Who are you talking about? Who do you hate?"

"My mother... I hate my mother."

Silence. The world stopped spinning and it was only just Tobias and Tris against everything and everyone. His face turned soft as he drew her in closer. He placed his cheek on hers as they let all their troubles and grief surround them until everything felt hazy. It was as if life had chosen to throw everything at them all at once; from sorrow, to grief, from pain to loss. Nothing had gone right in the past month, it was just a constant nightmare. Every bad thing that could ever happen was being piled onto them, sometimes one at a time, and sometimes more, like this. Her heart squeezed as she pictured a life, an ordinary one, that didn't involve so much pain and anger. Tris hadn't remembered a time she felt so much rage, so many negative emotions. And truth was, it was starting to scare her a little.

She glanced upwards at Tobias, only needing to angle her chin up slightly to get a good view of his face. He was watching her intently, eyes beaming with love, yet trimmed with sadness for Tris. When he had experienced pain, she did too. It was the bond they shared—a bond that formed when they both lost the same person. It was easier this way, not having to speak it out loud. Tris was terrified that if she said it out loud, the grief would begin to consume her. And she couldn't lose herself anymore—when she had already given up so much.

"You don't really mean that..." His voice was calm and the only reason why she wasn't breaking down. His arm was strong around her limp and weak body. She felt like she would've collapsed if not for Tobias. "I know I don't know the first thing about parents, but I know that if I had the chance to meet my mother... I would."

She didn't answer immediately, but when she did, her voice was angry. "Your mum didn't abandon you because she wasn't ready! She _loved_ you. My mother—_Natalie_" She corrected, "actually left me! One day, she just decided that she was done with me and left. Without any goodbyes, without any reason. So she doesn't get to show up here and say that she wants to be in my life again..." She choke up a little, "It just doesn't work that way."

He pulled her in even closer, "I know." He soothed.

"It's just so hard, because I don't want to hate her... But I do." She whispered.

He nodded, "I know how that feels. But you have to try to talk to her. Try to understand... Because one day, it might be too late."

* * *

**A/N:** Is anyone still reading? Or has everyone just given up on the story? It's gotten so quiet lately... Anyway, this story is now coming to a close (around 30 chapters) and everything is now coming to a gradual stop. However, please still leave your thoughts on this chapter. And I hope to see you all next time :)


	28. Chapter 27

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 27**

TRIS

Several weeks had passed, and Tris hadn't seemed to want to bring her mother up again. It was a sore topic to discuss, much like Marcus had been, and she was thankful Tobias hadn't pressed the matter. If anything, he had been the complete opposite. He had been supportive in the decisions that Tris made—which included the one regarding her mother—and others, such as what shampoo she should buy. It was such trivial matters that made life seem like it was normal... Or as normal as it could get for them. It wasn't easy, but she soon fell back into the rhythm that was college. She had just gotten back onto good terms with Christina, Will had been his ever-so-pleasant self, and things with Tobias couldn't have been better—ignoring what had happened a few weeks prior. The four of them had returned to campus life like nothing drastic had just changed their life.

And that's what she did, she went on with life. She went to college, she went on dates with Tobias, and she went to movies with Christina and Will—and she studied, just like the good old times. She found, if she didn't busy herself doing little things such as this, she would find herself thinking of her mother and the pain she had caused. All the anger and hurt would flood back in, and it would overwhelm her again. She just didn't know how to deal with it anymore, so she had turned it off, like a light switch, only she made herself numb to pain—to the memories which reminded her of her constant suffering. Sure, it was hard—grief was always hard—and getting by everyday was a challenge itself; both mentally and physically. It wasn't just about her mother anymore; it was her mother, her father, and of course... Christian. It was exhausting to wake early each morning having seen what she had, having _witnessed_ what many don't even get to hear about in a lifetime, and having experienced all that first hand.

Classes had resumed a while ago, and she had skipped many lectures in the period she and Tobias had skipped town, and was now making up for it the hard way. She had extra classes, one-on-one tuition with a more experienced student. It was strange and very difficult for Tris, as she was always the model student—or well, she used to be. All those catch up lessons and time spent studying was proving harder than she had originally thought. Missing one or two days was tough enough with finals soon approaching, but skipping a week or two's worth of class was be disastrous—and she was feeling the full blunt force of it all now.

Tris had settled back down into her old habits; studying late into the night, but instead of books being her only company, she now had Tobias. He was her own personal tutor. Since he too, had missed his fair share of classes, they had both taken catch up lessons with another professor. David had deemed them unworthy of his attention, following their sketchy track record, and passed them off to another teacher.

That was how she ended up here, in Tobias' apartment with books and her messy handwritten notes sprawled over the bed. She had basically been living with him, between studying for finals, and the little time saved for their romantic escapades, there wasn't any room to be sneaking off to her dorm late at night, so he offered to share the bed—and well, she never did decline anything from Tobias. It had started with one evening, which soon became two, and a week later, she never left.

"Ugh!" Tris yelled as she pounded her fists into the bed. Studying for the past few hours was seeming to be more detrimental to her health than anything now. Her mind absorbed nothing, nothing at all. She had basically been staring at a piece of paper for the past half hour, reading and re-reading, but nothing had stuck. "Why is this so hard!"

She heard a chuckle, which probably wasn't the wisest decision Tobias had made in the past year. She was fuming with anger—not particularly at him, but the way she was right now, it could've been at anyone—an him laughing, did not help matters at all.

"It's not funny!" She declared hotly, hands fisting in her own hair. She brought her eyes up to look at him, ready to snap at him again. But when she saw the gentle smile on his lips, and the soft expression on his face, she couldn't hold the anger. She sighed, and collapsed backwards on the bed, "Sorry." She muttered, "I didn't mean to yell at you... It's just that even with all this studying, I'm not learning anything." She admitted defeated.

He shifted, but his legs were still sprawled on the floor, eyes still furiously staring at the massive piles of paper in front of him. They were stacks of typed notes, printed pages of class lectures, important things he needed to memorise before the year came to a close, he had told her a few days ago. She could tell from his body language that he was just as fed up with it all as she was. His hair was tousled and eye bags were very visible beneath his eyes; the late night studying was draining all his energy. And she was pretty sure he was still in a better condition than herself.

He glanced up just as Tris found his eyes, which earned her the biggest grin she had ever seen from him. "That's because you need a break." The grin quickly turned into a smirk, as his eyebrows furrowed suggestively.

Her cheeks turned red, "What I need is to study." She reaffirmed, nodding as though she had convinced herself.

"No." He spoke again, voice laced with heat, "You need to take your mind off this for the night. You've done so much studying already. You need a break."

Her eyes fluttered heavily, "Maybe." She thought about it for a second, then shrugged it off as a silly suggestion, "Or maybe I just have to study harder." She nodded again, bringing her eyes back down to the paper again. She spent the next minute doing what she had before, with no added luck.

She sighed as she spoke softly, "Okay. I need a break." She admitted sadly, "But only a snack break." She eyed him skeptically, "Nothing else."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He winked.

She simply rolled her eyes, and hopped off the bed, slowly stepping around Tobias' carefully organised stacks on the floor. She could feel him watching her as she strode across the bedroom into the living area to the kitchen. She could always tell when his eyes were on her; he had this effect on her—it was like a warm sensation spreading through her body that made her feel alive. She shivered, but quickly collected herself. She needed to stay on track; she needed to focus—she needed to get through the finals.

She had quickly gathered her snack, consisting of only a glass of orange juice and some biscuits she had retrieved when she raised the pantry. She lifted the glass to her lips and felt the thick liquid slide down her throat. She gasped at its refreshing taste. It was a little sour, but it did give her the kick she needed.

She heard the same familiar chuckle again.

Rolling her eyes, she set down the glass on the kitchen bench and slowly turned around. She was met by a _very_ shirtless—a_lmost naked_—Tobias, standing there only in his boxers. He smirked again when he saw her cheeks turn a flamingo pink colour.

She quickly turned her eyes elsewhere, "Don't you have something you should be doing—or something you should be wearing." Her voice betrayed her words—in fact, she'd much rather him _completely_ naked.

He chuckled, throwing his head back as he ran his fingers through his hair. "No." He pretended to be deep in thought, "Not really." He said as he flexed his arm muscles.

She quickly shook off that fuzzy feeling inside that usually led to much more—which included a very hot and heavy make out session—and tried to make herself sound busy. "Okay, well, I have something I have to do. So, if you'll excuse me. I need to study." She stated as flatly as she could manage as she stepped around him and walked back into the bedroom, snacks still in hand. Her heart was pounding in her chest and every inch of her body ached for him, but there was so much to do, so much to study.

A few minutes later, she saw Tobias' enter, carrying a cup of coffee. The sweet smell drifted into her nose, and it delighted her tastebuds. She clacked her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she pictured how amazing the coffee would taste. She was so absorbed in the sight, smell and taste of the coffee that she didn't feel Tobias sit back down in his spot. But she could still feel his eyes on her, observing her with the same signature smirk as she tried to do her work.

When she could stand it any longer, she spoke up, "I can't work with you staring at me like that." It was a tease, and some part of her loved it, but the underlying point was there; she was trying to study, but how could she ignore every burning muscle and fibre in her body telling her to go to him?

"Who says I want you to work?" Tobias spoke smugly, and she felt a quiver ran down her body, making her knees weak. She met his eyes briefly, and she didn't see the normal blue orbs she loved, she saw what she didn't need right now—who she needed right now. Despite her resistance, her whole body was fighting the urge to saunter over and kiss him senseless.

"I—I need to study," She argued, a gallant reason, but it was a weak persuasion. "I need to focus... It's so close and I have so much to do." Her voice has wavered, and she hadn't sounded as confident as she had wanted to be. But it was hard, when someone attractive was sitting just a few feet away, looking like they wanted to rip your clothes off. She chewed on her bottom lip, praying that she didn't give away too much.

Her body remained frozen as she held his gaze, but her eyes beaconed him closer, even though her mind protested. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion; his feet hit the floor so slowly it made little ripples in her stomach, his body inching closer with every step yet still too far to touch. Everything in the room became electrified, the sexual tension grew thick and she could barely contain the lust begging to let loose.

He was on her in a matter of seconds, though it felt like five long hours, lips latching onto hers first, the rest of his body later. Her back was now firmly pressed on the bed, the firm mattress was the only support that held her together. His hands untangled themselves from hers, and he left a trail from her palm, up her shoulder, down her chest to her stomach, then down further. They found her thighs and with one small squeeze, he managed to send electric bolts through her entire body. She missed a breath as he laid his cool hand on her burning thigh. Her shorts had ridden up and her bare skin felt hot beneath his hand. His touch was slowly driving her insane and she soon found herself craving more of it.

"Tobias—" She opened her mouth to speak but he placed a finger on her lips, as he told her to be quiet. She nodded silently as her eyes continued to watch him. Her own eyes were lost in the lust she was feeling, and a hunger began to gnaw at her stomach. She wanted to be closer to him—to be connected to him in every way possible. She arched her back upwards as she brought her lips up to kiss him. They were met with the same ferocity and need and as the kiss drew deeper, she felt herself falling further into his touch.

The reminder of the last time they were this intimate on the bed sent shivers down her body. Their lips were still restless; lust and desire overpowering any other sensible emotion inside of them. She let her eyes wander from where her hand now pressed against his skin, up his chest where she unhappily saw that he was still with clothing. Breaking away from his grasp, but not his lips, she fiddled with the hem before bringing it up towards his shoulder. She raked her fingernails along his toned stomach and she could hear him stiffer a groan. Their lips broke apart so that she could toss the shirt over his head but the moment it was gone, his lips found hers again.

She was so lost in him, and everything that was Tobias, that she had forgotten all her troubles. It seemed like at that very moment, nothing mattered but the two of them. And she knew, he would have her back always, just like she would him. All her suffering and loss, soon faded and turned into something more, something more ferocious and hard to control; lust and desire.

She found herself folding her breath when he began moving his fingers in small circles on the inside of her thighs. It made her flesh hot and her insides die from the yearning. His fingers slowly moved upwards, but stopped when they reached her stomach. With one swift scoop, her shirt was lost amongst the sheets, and it was just the two of them again.

Their eyes meet and there was nothing but love and lust in them. Everything in their room turned hot and the desire to be physically close to one another was eating at them. Her heart pounded in her chest and her cheeks flushed pink. After all this time, he still gave her butterflies every single time he looked at her.

"Tris, if we don't stop now. I don't think I'll be able to." She could tell his words were pained, after all, she could feel the budge in his pants growing. She knew that had to be all but comfortable. His eyes told her that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, but she also knew he would stand by her words, even though it would be excruciatingly hard.

She had no intention of stopping though, and gave an approving hum, moving her head up so that her lips could touch his again. When she finally withdrew from his touch, she placed a small hand on his cheek. Her eyes found his again, blue met blue, fire met fire. "I don't want to stop. I don't ever want to stop with you Tobias."

* * *

**A/N: **THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER. Every single one of you made me smile so hope you all enjoyed the quick (hot and saucy) update. :) But on a sad note, not long now till the ending! I've sucessfully written all the chapters except the epilogue (30 chapters in total including epilogue). So sad it's ending so soon :(

Also letting you know that I'm currently working on another Divergent fanfic. Unfortunately it's not a sequel to this story and I probably won't have time to write one if I'm working on the new story... But if I finish the new one, and still have interest in a HTS sequel, I might write one. The new fic won't be similar to this; it won't be set in a "school" environment, but since it's me writing, it will—without a doubt—contain some dark and twisted plot. (Hehe, plot bunnies at work) Keep an eye out for it some time this week!

As always, thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 28

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 28**

TOBIAS

Tris hadn't been herself lately, between finals and her mother, everything had been set on edge. It was as if everyone were stepping on rocks; tip-toeing their way around her. Will and Christina, though they didn't know why, knew that there was something wrong with Tris, but they didn't attempt to ask what. Truthfully, everyone was too busy with their own lives to be concerned with another. Finals had gotten everyone in a gloomy mood—Tris in particular—and it was only made worse with one thing. Christian's funeral—well, it wouldn't affect Tris just yet. Tobias had to tell her, but he didn't know where to begin.

He had barely enough time to process it himself. His relatives, Christian's that is, had decided to make up some bullshit story about how he had been killed in a car accident on the side of a freeway—they refused to believe Tobias' story even despite of his proof and evidence. Regardless of Tobias' protests, they went ahead with it anyway, and filed his death as a 'tragic accident'. There was nothing Tobias could do but scoff at them. It was pretty pointless to argue. He really didn't want to attend some fake burial, but it was only right that he see his friend off one last time—even though he knew the body wouldn't actually be there.

Now, he had the horrible task of breaking the news to Tris. Looking at her now, the way her face scrunched up in concentration and the way she would smack her lips together when she finally understood something, he never wanted to disturb that. She was an angel that had come to grace him with her presence—her beauty radiated off her. Light rays bouncing off her golden locks.

He sighed as he laid down the notes he was gripping in his hand. "Tris?" His hands were shaking now that there wasn't anything in them.

"Yeah?" She hummed back happily. But when her face saw his, her smile quickly dropped. "What's wrong?"

"It's—It's Christian..." He stumbled with his words, "They're going to have a funeral next week." The next few seconds went so silent that he could hear the small pellets of rain hitting the bedroom window.

"Oh." Her eyes fell sad, and her face dropped at the mention of his name. Her reaction was the same as his—and pretty much the only reaction one could give. But as quickly as her expression changed, a small smile quickly replaced her frown, "It's going to be okay."

He only nodded praying that would be true.

...

The week passed by quickly, and no one spoke of the funeral again, until today. Tris took her finals with much on her plate—with a heavy mind—but Tobias knew without a doubt that she had aced them.

Tris was soon back to her usual self after the exams had passed, though her mood was still gloomier. It was to be expected though, the funeral was today and neither of them knew how to feel—or what to say. They had been given the opportunity to speak, but both doubted they could even manage a word when the time came. It was so strange, Tobias never thought he'd be this speechless when it came to Christian—the friend who always had much to say, the one who always brought out the carefree, happier side of him.

"Are you ready?" Tris' hand twitched in his as she gave it a small squeeze.

"I don't know if I'll ever be." His voice was soft, tender. "But I have to do this... Christian would've wanted that. I have to do this for him."

She answered only with a nod and began to turn towards the church. Today was the day they were finally going to have a memorial for Christian. It was a small, intimate gathering, consisting of Tris and Tobias' small group of friends—which really was only Christina and Will—and other long distant relatives of Christian's. They hadn't known the extent of his death, they only knew the cover story. Truthfully, Tobias didn't even know what it was—what the police had swept under the rug. It seemed like that was all they were doing these days. So now Christian's death had been ruled out as a drunk accident. That he had died in an unfortunate car crash. But if only they knew... That it was as far from the truth it could get. He was killed, _murdered_ by a psychopath that the police continued to turn a blind eye to. They had left him roam free. Even though Tobias never knew, he was certain the police did, and they let him keep living, keep slaughtering innocent lives.

He cringed at the memory of Marcus—he finally figured it out, he really did despise that man. No matter what he called himself, no matter what the paperwork says, he wasn't his father.

The service had signalled it's beginning, and Tobias let Tris lead him to his seat. As he walked down the isle where black carpet now covered what usually was red, he only saw fifteen people in the rows. Some, he noted, didn't even seem to be sad. They had bored faces, as if they were eager to get out of the service. It took a crazy amount of control for Tobias not to stalk over and punch them senseless. _How could they be so heartless? _

Everything went by so quickly; the priest spoke briefly, commemorating Christian, and praising his bravery. But there was no bravery in being killed._ Since when was there ever?_

Soon, the ceremony was over, and everyone had begun to file out of the church in rows. The precession that carried Christian's coffin lead the way to the cemetery, while everyone else followed numbly behind. Some even dispersed elsewhere, having possibly grown bored of it all. Tobias' hands fisted into balls by his side as he tried to keep a straight face. He was so angry; the past few weeks that was all he had felt. All that anger, rage, hatred, channelled through to one person. But what good would that do him now? That person was dead. Killing him felt good the second he pulled the trigger but only afterwards did he feel like he was drowning in his emotions. He had pushed everything, his everything he was feeling behind his hatred, and when that was gone, all that he hid had resurfaced. He was hit by a tidal wave of emotions, which left him on a roller coaster for much of the past week.

Everyone soon came to a stop, as the remaining people huddled around the dull, grey tombstone. It was carved in an arch shape with Christian's full name carved on the front, along with some other meaningless words. It read:

_Here lies Christian Renton._

_Son and friend. _

_Taken by a tragic accident. _

It was a load of bullshit. Taken by a tragic accident? There was nothing accidental about being murdered. And it was all but tragic. His death, it was awful but it was not tragic. He hadn't needed to die—he wasn't supposed to. He was supposed to live a long life, full of happiness and love because that's what he deserved. He didn't deserved to have been killed by a psychopath. If there was anything tragic in his death, it was that.

Tobias stared at the grave, where his coffin now laid beneath the ground. Little did everyone know, the casket was empty. His body wasn't there—only an empty wooden box with his name engraved in cursive letters. If he knew Christian at all—which he did—he knew, never in the world would he have wanted this. Only Tris and him knew where his body was, and only they buried and remembered him the way he would've wanted. They had given him their own memorial; they had gone back for him, a few days after, and had buried him. He was better off where he laid than in this meaningless grave, where people he didn't know, where people didn't love him faked their condolences.

"Tobias?" His head shot up at his name, "Would you like to say a few words?"

He didn't answer.

"It's okay Tobias. You can do it. _I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere_—I'll help you through it." She reassured him, slowly gesturing him forward.

He simply nodded and slipped his hand from Tris' as he took his stance beside the priest. Tears dotted at his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak, "There was so much to say... So much left unsaid between us. And there's nothing I can do to fix that... But all I know is, Christian didn't deserve that—he didn't deserve any of it—he should've lived a full life with love and happiness. He was so young... So much ahead of him." His voice threatened to break, the words were all that was holding himself together. "And I—I miss him everyday. People say it gets easier over time... But it hasn't... I still see him in my dreams. I wish I had more time." He looked up to the blue sky, "I wish I had more time with you Chris... I miss you." He whispered to his friend.

And in that moment, he thought he caught the smallest of voices in the wind. _I miss you too Tobias._ But it was gone before his next tear fell.

Everyone clapped at the end of his speech, but there was nothing in his words that should've been celebrated. Tris returned to his side as she pulled his hand into hers, clutching it tightly as their tears spilled on the freshly dug ground. They stood in silence together—only grief taking over their whole being.

Everyone then took turns placing a small rose on the newly dug soil. They all had tears in their eyes but he only knew that only three were genuine. Tris clung to his side, her eyes red and raw. Christina and Will to his other, both sharing his grief with him. Although they hadn't known the full extent of Christian's death, they knew the burden and they had helped Tobias with the grieving process. The four of them, were the only ones who truly were pained with sadness, the others were frauds. Made clearly evident by their urgency to leave, making up transparent excuses. Tobias preferred this, he preferred that it was just the four of them now. Everyone else hadn't been welcomed to stay, and if he knew Christian at all, he would've said the exact same.

"Are you okay?" It was Tris' voice who broke him from his gaze. His eyes had been so fixed on the terrible grave, his mind so absorbed in his friend's death that he had almost forgotten about her. But her palm in his reminded she was there, right next to him, going through everything he was.

She mightn't have known Christian well, or for a long time, but she was there—she was there when he was taken. And more importantly, she knew how much that hurt. She understood how something like that couldn't not leave a mark on the soul—a scar on the heart. But she still loved him unconditionally, much like she had Christian until his end. He was as much a part of him as he was for her.

Looking back at Tris now, her eyes shining with tears, he understood it all too. "No." He stated simply. _No, he wasn't going to be okay—would anyone else going through that be too? _It was the truth, and there was no denying that. But there was some part of him inside that glimmered with hope, something he hadn't felt since he first ever laid his eyes on Tris. "But I think I'm going to be." He answered with a small smile.

* * *

**A/N:** Eeeeep! The next chapter is going to be the last... Then I might write an epilogue to finish things off! But it's gone so quickly... I can't believe it. Thank you all so much for encouraging me and all the support you've shown me so far along the way. Love you lots!

Oh and my new fic is out, it's called 'drag me under'. Give it a read if you want :)


	30. Chapter 29

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Chapter 29**

TRIS

Finals had come and gone but Tris wasn't so sure she had done well. She had taken her last exam a few days ago, with the first being Tuesday last week. The truth behind her underperformance was largely due to the fact that Christian's relatives had arranged his funeral two days after finals. Her mind had been way to pre-occupied to even think about finals. How could it when all the thoughts that clouded her mind were of Christian? How could she possibly take her exams when she was still coping with her friends death? There was only so much someone could taken in at once. And between studying and Christian, she barely had time to even breathe.

She spent majority of her time thinking about Tobias and worrying about how he might react at the funeral. She knew he was putting on a brave face for show, but how long could he actually keep that up? Funerals were for letting go—gaining some much needed peace. But how could he get peace if he didn't want to believe that his friend was dead? She knew that deep down Tobias knew Christian really was gone—and there was no way to bring him back—but he had a hard time of saying those words aloud. He had said them before but Tris doubted he knew the full extent of his words. It was hard, she wasn't saying it was going to be easy, but it was the first step to grieving—and he really needed that right now.

When the funeral actually came, it was horrible. It wasn't just the overwhelming amount of emotions in the room—that much was expected—no, it was the people, and the lack of genuine tears. It felt like everyone was just going through the motions without the feelings—like going on a roller coaster but not feeling a single ounce of adrenaline. They were there for the sake of showing their faces—to act sorry and with compassion. Tris knew though, they didn't share one ounce of sadness. In fact, she was certain that she and Tobias carried all of the pain and sorrow for that day. No one else knew the burden like they did—and worse? They didn't even _care_. They were heartless monsters.

Majority of it was uneventful to say the least. People paid their condolences to a tragic death, which was all but the truth. He, like many others, had been taken before their time by a ruthless tyrant—who was now gone too—but that couldn't change the past. No matter how hard Tris tried she couldn't shake the feeling that it was her fault.

"I can't believe he's really gone..." Her eyes wandered on the dirt path as they made their way back to the parking lot. "It's just... I've never said those words out loud before. It was like, if I didn't say it, it isn't true. But it is… Christian really is gone…" Her voice trailed off, and she immediately closed her eyes, afraid of the tears that had begun to form.

She got her answer through a gentle squeeze. It was soft enough for someone to miss, but she caught it. Her palm pressed firmer in his as she drew closer to him—looking for comfort through him. "I'm sorry Tobias." She quickly added, "I shouldn't have—"

"—No..." He interjected, "It's okay Tris. I can talk about it—I can talk about _him_." He added slowly. His voice was slow, gentle, tentative. But there was a need in them that sparked something inside of him that she hadn't seen for a long time.

"We don't have to." She spoke, eyes looking up at him, "I know it's hard. And he may be gone, but I'm still here Tobias. _I'll always be here for you_."

He only nodded.

Moments went by, and all she could focus on was the dirt road in front of her. It was a small, narrow path carved out by people's feet through time, and it occupied her mind nicely, so she wouldn't have to think about the problem that was at hand. Christian's funeral was a relief—yet also troublesome. With its end came new problems, she would have to face what was really getting to her. _Her mother. _

She hadn't wanted to talk about her for a while, and for most of the time, the funeral took up most of her time. Now that it was over, her mind was now free to think of ways she could either _hate _or_ forgive_ her mother. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't get Tobias's words from her mind. She knew he was right, she would have to get past this sooner or later—she wouldn't be able to move on otherwise.

So with a heavy sigh, she pulled away slightly, looking for her next words, "Tobias... I um... Wanted to ask if you'd... If you'd come with me to see my mother." She paused, waiting for him to say something. Anything. But when he didn't, she continued slowly. "I don't know what she'll say and I don't know what I'll do. But I owe it to myself—not her—to at least give it a try." In the end her words were barely audible, but it was the fact that she said them at all that surprised Tobias the most. After almost a week of avoiding her, she was finally ready to talk about it—she was ready to face her mother. And he couldn't be prouder.

This left a big smile on his face. "What made you change your mind?" He leaned down and murmured in her ear.

"I just thought that since you could handle the funeral... Then I could at least see her—see my mum." She whispered, bringing her eyes back to his face, "Will you come with me?"

"Of course I will Tris." Tobias sealed with a kiss.

...

"I'm nervous."

"Don't be." His voice was gentle; his hand giving her the much needed strength. "I'm right here if you need me." He reminded and she nodded, but that did little to ease her unsettled stomach.

They were waiting at the cafe, just across the road from the campus, as it was the only place Tris felt was safe. She was almost certain that Natalie wouldn't start a scene in a place where many people could witness—although, at this time, there was barely anyone.

Her hand twitched nervously as she played with the frayed edges of her napkin. She needed something to occupy herself with while she waited. Her hand fisted in the white tissue, nervousness eating at her. She had said noon but it was barely twelve o'clock yet. Her need to be punctual in everything she did, had made her arrive fifteen minutes earlier even despite the walk only taking a minute, two tops. She had used the walk as an opportunity to take a breather; the fresh air had been rejuvenating though the nagging sensation was still there.

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably as she shifted in her seat. She peered over at Tobias and watched him curiously, eyes sparkling adoringly as she watched his eyes roam around the small room. They did a full 360' before they met hers. He shot her a big smile; one that made butterflies swarm in her stomach, but the knot there was difficult to get rid of.

And just when she couldn't get anymore jumpy, the sight of _her_ made her want to bolt right out. Tris had mapped out all possible exits on her way inside—it was like her way of coping with the sticky situation. Her eyes turned back to the woman; her glow still as radiant as she had remembered, her hair still blonde and bright, but she was obviously worn down, the dots on her forehead led Tris to believe she hadn't slept very well either. Despite her horrible look, she gave Tris a warm smile. Tris tried to muster up the same kind smile, but the best she managed was the tiniest of nods.

"Sorry I'm late." Those were her first few words and Tris began to doubt whether they were sincere... Not that it mattered anyway.

"It's not even noon yet." Tris spoke with a tight lip, her eyes giving nothing away.

The woman shrunk beneath Tris' stare, and it took a hard elbow from Tobias for her to snap out of her cold glare. "Sorry." Tris muttered, but it was shrugged off casually. She seated herself across Tobias and Tris, but didn't bother to make herself comfortable—possibly under the assumption that she'd be shooed off as soon as she sat down.

"You, um, asked me here..." She fumbled around for words. "What did you want to talk about?" She seemed nervous, and truthfully so was Tris. Her insides were jittery and she could feel herself leap a few centimetres in the air every time she spoke a word.

Tris opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly, realising those words would get her nowhere. "For the record, I didn't ask you here to suddenly bond and become mother and daughter again... Because we both know that's not going to happen." Her words were straightforward, and her firm voice suggested that she believed her statement strongly. But despite this, there was some gentleness in her voice.

"Okay." Natalie agreed with a nod, "What do you want to happen then?"

Tris' lip trembled slightly. "I'm not sure. I guess I just want some answers... I know the conversation we had last time—well, it wasn't much of one… And that it was unfair of me to end it so abruptly. But I was so confused, and angry, and all I could think about was the hate I had for you." Tris mustered enough strength to look her in the eye. Instead of meeting the expected hostility, she saw sadness, loss—emotions she was all too familiar with. "Then Tobias reminded me that we don't have all of the time in the world to set right the things we did wrong… That sometimes we need to stop talking to hear what other's don't say. And I don't think I could live the rest of my life knowing that I didn't hear you out when I had the chance." She could feel her eyes begin to water, and the uncomfortable lump clogging her throat, making her choke on her words. "I just don't want to live with so much hate—I've had to live with so much of it already—I don't want to feel so bitter, so angry all the time."

"I'm sorry that I made you feel that way." Natalie murmured, eyes giving away her despair.

Tris whispered as she closed her eyes, "I know."

"What do you want to happen now?"

"I don't know. I guess I want to start fresh. I'm not saying I'm willing to forgive you... At least not yet." Her lip was shaking so much, "But I would like to start by getting to know you again." And when she opened her eyes, tears streamed down her face. Only this time, it wasn't sad—or angry—tears. They were something else… Something good.

"I would like that very much."

* * *

**A/N:** Before anyone gets confused about how this and the book are similar, it isn't... At least not when it comes to Tris and her mother in my story. This story is AU, which means there will have been things that didn't happen in the actual Divergent series. This is my own adaption and not every detail will be the same. So, I hope you've enjoyed Tris and her mother in my adaptation, and how it finally ended. (I know somewhat ambiguously, but it felt _right_... To me at least.)

Wow... Can't believe that was the last chapter. People say it gets easier... But it doesn't. It never gets easier finishing a story. :(( I'll miss waking up to so many notifications from you guys telling me how much you've all enjoyed the last chapter, and especially all the encouragement to my regular readers. No amount of words can express the gratitude and love I want to share with all of you. It's honestly been the bumpiest, but greatest journey. And I'm glad I got to share it with all of you.

So, thank you all so much, and I shall see you one last time (the epilogue) for this story!

Ps. If you've enjoyed this story and would like to read another Divergent fic, you can check out my new story called '_drag me under_'. :))


	31. Epilogue

**HERE TO STAY**

_PART II: New Beginnings_

* * *

**Epilogue**

TRIS

"Beatrice," her head shot up at the sound of her name, "I need to talk to you about your grades. Please remain behind at the end of the class."

All eyes turned to her.

"Yes, of course, Professor Eaton." She tried to keep her voice as calm and unsuspecting as possible but her insides were racing. Her eyes met his briefly before he pulled away, afraid to give too much away. However, in their brief moment of contact, she saw behind his mask. The one that held his lust and desire to kiss her senseless. Her ferocity and need matched his as she rubbed her legs together beneath the table. The yearning for him became a pain throughout the rest of the lecture and she would shift uncomfortably in her seat. Her stomach turned uneasily when she would catch other girls staring at him the way only she was allowed to. She had to bite back the urge to snap at them. After all as far as they were concerned with, he was still single.

The lesson carried on as normal for the rest of the class, but the tension that had erupted between Tobias and Tris was not lost. She would catch his glance every once in a while, and he would shoot her his signature smirk. Her heart leapt up each time. She observed similar behaviour from the girls that were sitting in front of her, and Tris would roll her eyes each time she heard them swooning. No one found out that they were directed at her, but some would occasionally glance back and glare at her, to which Tris returned a neutral stare. She gave nothing away each time but she could see her facade slipping the more the class dragged on.

Her legs twitched with eagerness when she saw the lesson had almost come to an end. She distracted herself; letting her eyes wander over the rest of auditorium, as she took in everything that had changed since she was last in there.

Two years had passed and Tris had graduated with honours. As for Tobias, he completed his teaching experience and was now a professor of his own. Initially, it had started as a joke when Tris would occasionally sit in his class just to listen to him talk. As time progressed, she grew rather fond of watching him, and had enrolled in his class permanently—though that itself didn't have repercussions. Since teachers weren't allowed to have a physical (or any kind of) interaction with their students, their relationship had to be held in secret. It was a challenge and it made their time spent together more thrilling—knowing that at any time, they could be caught. The time they spent together was cherished. Even despite moving in with Tobias, and spending every other moment with him, there was still a need for each other. In class, there would always be an exchange of longing glances and after almost lesson, it would end up the same way.

Without clothes and a whole lot of kissing.

It was like they were making up for lost time. The hastiness in their actions and the countless times they had made love proved that the attraction they held for each other was undeniable—_that they were made for each other. _

"You have no idea how much self control it took to stay apart from you for so long." Tobias muttered in between kisses.

Tris hummed at his words, bliss consuming every inch of her body. "I know and I hate how we can't be together in public." She spoke sadly. "But I think what I hate most is how the other girls fawn over you..."

He simply chuckled and she frowned at his response. "What's so funny?" She asked.

"You." He said as he kissed her nose. "You know you're the only one for me."

"I know." She grumbled, "But still... I don't like how they can't take a hint."

"Girls want what they can't have." He spoke with a smirk, "You should know that better than anyone... After all, you fell for me when you weren't supposed to—you fell for me when I was forbidden."

A smile played on her lips this time, "Forbidden is the best kind of love." She teased, "It makes things more fun..." She trailed off, letting his imagination run wild. She dropped her hand to the bottom of his shirt, fingers toying with the hem. Her eyes took in the sight of him; the shirt was the perfect compliment to his toned body. His muscles shone nicely beneath the shirt. It was a lovely sight indeed, and Tris really did love it, but she hated how _others_ would see him like that also.

_But I'm the only one who gets to see what's underneath_. She reminded herself, and her smile broadened.

"What are you smiling at?" His voice tore her back to reality.

"Nothing." She drew out the word as she unbuttoned his shirt slowly, "Just thinking of all the things we could do. We still have half an hour..." Her hands roamed around his now bare, and chiselled chest and she bit back a moan when she saw his perfectly sculpted abs. Lust hinted at her eyes, "Do you have something in mind we could do to pass the time?" She asked as sweetly as she could, batting her eyelashes at him.

He grinned back at her, "I have plenty of things in mind."

And so, they fell back into their usual routine; teasing and yearning during each lecture, then a quick one in his office. It left her exhilarated, and she would often have to clamp down on her own mouth to hide a moan. She had to remind herself not to make any noise—which they usually didn't—until they were back home. Home as in Tobias' apartment.

Clothes came off in a hurry and were discarded carelessly on the floor, once they stood across the threshold. Their minds were lost in ecstasy as they rocked back and forth in unison. And at that moment, nothing felt more right than being in his arms.

Here she was, the girl who had come from a broken home, the girl who had only just recently found her mother, the girl who was constantly lost. She had lost almost everything, yet now, she stood strong than ever. It was the strength from Tobias; she drew his own strength from him—and him from her. They were two people, so broken and worn down that they were perfect for each other—who built each other up. Two people who had something the other hadn't... And some things they shared in common, like how they were both left in the start, unwanted, abandoned. But not anymore, they had each other. They had found love, compassion, friendship, _hope, _along the way.

She had learnt so many things—that memories weren't just about the past, they also determined the future. They can change things—they can make it better or for worse, but in the end, it is the power you give it, that makes you who you are.

Soon she felt her cheeks wet with tears. She quickly swiped them away, but they didn't stop.

"Why are you crying?" She heard him ask.

"I guess it never occurred to me that I could actually be happy—that I could love and be loved. I came from a home—a place that held no place for love. I didn't know I was capable of being loved... " She whispered, closing her eyes as she willed her ears to stop falling. "I guess I'm just so used to everyone leaving, and it's strange that you haven't. I feel like I'm living in a dream. But it's not. It's all real... You're real... And you're here."

"Of course I'm here Tris. You say I saved you, but you saved me too—"

"We saved each other." She interrupted, leaning forward to meet his eyes now.

He nodded and continued, "I'm never going to leave you Tris." He promised. "I'm never going to let you go. I love you." He looked into her eyes, looking beyond the tears that blocked her vision. Though she couldn't see him well, she knew he was telling the truth. "I'll always be **here to stay**."

"I know." She whispered, "I love you too."

* * *

**A/N:** Wow. We are officially done. I can't believe it... I actually finished this. At first, it was just a story that I wrote for myself but as it progressed, I found it was as much as for me as it was for you. I hope you enjoyed that, and that its been as amazing for you as it was for me—with the occasional bumps along the way. But hey, what story goes without one?

I'd like to use this opportunity to thank every single one of you for following my story. For giving me a chance... I know there's heaps of fanfictions out there but it's just honestly so humbling to get so many constant readers (~500 readers per chapter). So thank you. And also a big thanks to everyone who reviewed, who took the time to write something small for me to read, and let me tell you, all of them made me smile. And as for the constant readers who are always reading, reviewing, and asking me questions (you know who you are), I actually love you so much. You make writing easier; you're the encouragement I need when I'm down. In the end, it's just a big thank you to everyone all round.

Don't forget, if you'd still like me to write a sequel (which I might after I finish Drag me under) let me know. And if I get at least a few people interested, I'll start. I don't know when I will (as first year uni will be hectic), but I will try my best.

Thank you again! Best wishes for 2015. :)


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